Corrections Officer Norris Justis said his test came up inconclusive. He is not sure what that means but knows looking at a bright red mark on his arm signifying that he has been exposed to the disease means he needs further testing.
He has to go back for another test Friday, but thinks he should have been excused from work since the first test Feb. 2.
“I spoke to my supervisor and explained to her everything and I was told to go to work. I went to the union and I told them I was concerned about my co-workers and my family. The next day they (the county) made me write a report.”
Justis continues to go to work. The 19-year veteran corrections officer said he hopes the county will approve a chest X-ray, the second test in TB cases.
Patricia Diamond, the county health officer, emphasized Tuesday that there have been tests on the corrections officers and so far none of them have been positive. A skin test merely shows that a person has been exposed to the disease.Corrections Officer George Hebert is president of the officers union. He said in addition to Justis, another man tested positive in the skin test and he got a chest X-ray on Tuesday. The other officer was negative in the first test, but he went to his doctor and has symptoms of the disease. He lost 10 pounds, has suffered fevers and malaise.
“These guys shouldn't be at work as far as I am concerned,” Hebert said Tuesday. “If they become active for TB (after more tests) how can the county allow them to be there? How can they jeopardize all of those people there — not just the officers but the inmates?”
Hebert said a lot of the 165 officers want to go to work and do their jobs, but they want to feel safe. They assume the risk of being in proximity of inmates with diseases. HIV, hepatitis and tuberculosis all have been things the officers have to worry about.
What Hebert is most concerned about is unnecessary risk and exposure that he claims is at the hands of jail and county health officials who have their own way of handling the matters.
Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson has said repeatedly that there was no cover-up with the suspected TB in the jail. He and County Health Officer Patricia Diamond said they have followed proper protocol, and inmates as well as officers who had prolonged exposure to people who tested positive are being treated.
In January, Myron Plotkin, the labor negotiator, spoke about the recent concerns at a freeholder's meeting. Since then, the union and the county officials have gone back and forth about changing the protocol for how to handle the TB cases and testing.
It appears the relationship between the union and corrections officers will continue to be strained until something is done to change the way the cases and potential cases are being handled.
The inmates are fearful, too. Recently Timothy West and Paul Smith contacted The Press of Atlantic City to say they are unhappy with the way the situation is being handled.
West was in the same “pod” as the initial inmate who tested positive for the disease in the fall. He is on medication as a precautionary measure, Diamond had said. But Smith, who is in the same living area as West, said he also should be given medication since he has had prolonged exposure to West.
Hebert said the fear is spreading — hopefully, faster than the disease.
“Now the sheriff's department has been making a lot of inquiries about this to us,” he said. “They do all of our transport. They want to know what's going on.”