Craig Cooper (IL DOC)
An inmate serving six years in prison on drug charges filed a complaint in federal court Feb. 14, claiming prison officials with the Illinois Department of Corrections deliberately delayed medical treatment.
In his handwritten complaint, Craig Cooper claims officials refused to correct his "urethral stricture condition" causing "undue peril."
He claims he made repeated claims to the medical staff about the pain and discomfort but nothing was done.
Cooper is scheduled to be paroled on Feb. 28.
According to Cooper, he informed the medical staff he needed surgery on April 8, 2005, and it was not performed until April 11, 2006.
Cooper wrote, "What this complaint complains about is the one year I had to endure of suffering and pain where the defendants had awful conduct."
He claims instead of fixing his medical problem, the defendants took a "code of silence."
Cooper claims the delay constituted cruel and unusual punishment, a violation of his protective rights.
"The defendants' conduct involves their masked attempts to hide and cover-up for one year demonstrates an obstruction of justice," Cooper wrote.
He is seeking compensatory and punitive damages in excess of $700,000 for violations of the 8th and 14th amendments.
The case has been assigned to District Judge David Herndon.