Update

Night after night, the men took turns caring for an ailing man with cancer. They brought him water, they called for help when he needed it, they eased his position in bed.

They were all incarcerated – sharing a five-bed hospital ward in prison, and James Bright, the Prison Society’s 2024 Corrections Employee of the Year honoree, was on duty as the corrections nurse in charge. 

“They would take shifts keeping watch over him, even though they had no responsibility to do so,” said Jim, clearly recalling what he experienced a decade ago. “They took it on themselves to provide an extra level of care. The humanity inside them told them they should do it. 

“People have a tendency to think that everybody in prison is a bad person,” Jim said, “But they are not, and this story underscores that.”

And it also underscores the compassion and understanding that Jim brings to a tough job. As Corrections Health Care Administrator, he oversees the medical care of the roughly 1,800 people incarcerated at the State Correctional Institution at Fayette, about an hour south of Pittsburgh. SCI Fayette also houses the Department of Corrections' oncology facility. 

“Most of the guys here are decent people who made a mistake,” he said. “What they did or what they are in for has no relevance whatsoever to their healthcare needs. That’s the healthcare culture that’s promoted. Everybody is treated with respect and dignity.”

Back home from the Iraqi war in 2010, Jim decided to become a nurse because he wanted to help people. Jim learned about the field of corrections nursing from a friend who “had nothing but good things to say.” 

Jim was sold. In 2013, he became a nurse at a state prison in Pittsburgh. In 2016, he took over the prison’s oncology program and stayed with it when the Pittsburgh prison closed, and the program moved to SCI Fayette. 

These days, Jim’s role is primarily administrative, although he makes sure to regularly walk through the facility. “I don’t want to sequester myself. I want the inmate population to know who I am, and I want them to know that I’m accessible.”

For Jim – and for the Prison Society – relationships matter.

“Because we have to work closely with [prison officials] every day, a lot depends on relationships. So, when we have someone who has a great relationship with the Prison Society, we want to spread that and make it contagious,” said John Hargreaves, senior advisor to the Prison Society. “We want to raise Mr. Bright’s work with us and hope other health administrators would use him as a model working with Prison Society.” 

Says Executive Director Claire Shubik-Richards, "there is a good argument that many of the people the Department of Corrections is charged with providing expensive and extensive medical care for aren't public safety risks and shouldn't be in prison. And unfortunately, in many facilities, medical care is really deficient, which is why, when there is someone like Jim it means the world." 

Jim credits the Prison Society with promoting transparency. “It creates another line of communication between the inmates and the institutional staff. It’s another way for the inmate population to be heard,” he said. “It’s a way of bridging the gap.

Greg Dober, a volunteer Prison Society monitor at Fayette, describes Jim as the ultimate communicator. 

Often, Greg said, incarcerated people and their families – like most people -- have a hard time understanding medical conditions, treatment options, and procedures. But Jim’s experiences and compassion have given him the ability and willingness to explain complicated problems in ordinary language to incarcerated people, their loved ones, and volunteers.

“The `comfort level’ for taking requests from inmates and families regarding healthcare inquiries at Fayette has risen dramatically while working with Jim…. Bright is responsive to inquiries…. Because his responsiveness is timely, it makes the Society better at resolving issues or communicating with loved ones in a situation,” Greg wrote in his nominating letter.

“I think a little kindness and understanding go a long way,” Jim said. “You want the best healthcare for your loved one. I routinely field calls and follow-ups. I’ll tell you what I can, and I’m happy to do that.”