WILMINGTON -- The City Council voted unanimously Thursday to ask Gov. Ruth Ann Minner to establish a task force to investigate allegations of inadequate health care in Delaware's prisons.

The request comes after a six-month investigation by The News Journal, which highlighted AIDS-related inmate deaths and suicides over the past four years; allegations by inmates of poor medical treatment for cancer, meningitis and hepatitis; and a no-bid $25.9 million contract awarded this year to St. Louis-based Correctional Medical Services to manage health care in the state's prisons.

The Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice has launched a formal inquiry into prison conditions in Delaware. The inquiry is a precursor to an investigation by the Justice Department. During an inquiry, staff attorneys from the Civil Rights Division reviewed allegations to determine merit. Depending on the findings, a formal investigation can be launched.

Last week, a group of more than 30 churches, social services organizations and the American Civil Liberties Union of Delaware sent letters to Gov. Ruth Ann Minner and the General Assembly urging them to send emergency medical teams into Delaware prisons to determine whether inmates are receiving appropriate medical care. The council said they, too, will be sending a letter soon.

Four lawmakers also have asked for independent investigations: House Majority Leader Wayne A. Smith, R-Clair Manor; Rep. Hazel D. Plant, D-Wilmington Central; Sen. Margaret Rose Henry, D-Wilmington East; and Sen. Charles L. Copeland, R-West Farms.

The City Council's resolution was sponsored by Councilwoman Stephanie T. Bolden. The resolution says the state has a duty to provide adequate health care to all inmates and that poor care for prisoners could create stronger strains of infectious diseases.

"A lot of us were just not aware of the things that were taking place," Bolden said. "These are human beings. Regardless of what put them there, they deserve the right to proper health care."

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