Monday, March 30
10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Phone/Email (anywhere in the state, country, or world)
Demand that Miami Correctional Facility’s leadership finally, after over a year, fix the Hoyer Lift so that inmates in the medical ward can use the restroom without soiling their sheets with urine and fecal matter, attend educational, religious, and other programming, and receive visits.
We first discovered this horrendous treatment in May 2025. It is now March 2026. One inmate, Jose “Danny” Ortiz, first got out of his bed for a visit in March. Demanding the visit, four guards had to move him into a wheel chair. Numerous inmates are impacted by this situation and are left with bed sores, infections, and worse. It’s only a matter of time until the worst scenario becomes the norm.
The first time Ortiz got out of his bed was for a visit in March where several guards had to help him into a wheel chair. Around 10 inmates have been impacted by this situation, which deprives them of attending church, interacting with fellow inmates, accessing the law library, participating in educational programs, and more. His fellow inmates are forced to lie in their own urine and fecal discharge for days.
Take action now on behalf of Jose, who had the bravery to join the most recent episode of the Naptown People’s Radio segment, “Dispatches from behind the wire,” to bring the situation to light. Email, call, and leave messages at the contacts listed below starting Monday, March 30 at 10:00 am!
Contact
Brian English, Warden, Miami Correctional Facility
Call: 765-689-8920 x5586
Email: benglish@idoc.in.gov
Dalton Haney, Assistant Director of Community Corrections
Call: 812-219-7193
Email: dhaney@idoc.in.gov
Charlene Burkett, Director of the DOC Ombudsman Bureau
Call: 317-234-3190
Email: ombud@idoa.in.gov
Burkett’s Administrative Assistant, DOC Ombudsman Bureau
Call: 317-234-3190
Email: Ombud@idoa.in.gov
Sample script for call/email
Hello [Name of person receiving the message],
My name is [your name] and I am calling concerning the well-being of all inmates at the medical ward at Miami Correctional Facility. I learned about this from Jose D. Ortiz #966281, who described the horrendous conditions he and his fellow inmates suffer due to an inoperative Hoyer lift, negligent guards, and other issues. This was confirmed by a friend who finally visited him in March after four guards had to lift him into a wheelchair.
I have faith that you can and will carry out our message to tighten up your staff at Miami Correctional Facility by ensuring they live up to the mission of IDOC: “Indiana Correctional Industries is dedicated to providing incarcerated individuals real-world training programs that develop work ethics, skills and abilities to support successful re-entry.” I look forward to a positive outcome for Mr. Ortiz and everyone in your medical ward and sincerely hope you can solve this issue once and for all.
Sincerely/Thank you so much,
[your name]
Featured images: Jose “Danny” Ortiz during a March 2026 visit with his childhood friend, Tenneil Selner; one of Danny’s twins playing with one of Tenneil’s twins; solo photo of Ortiz (from left to right). Pictures provided by Tenneil Selner.