Former CIA officer John Kiriakou, who served a prison sentence at a federal prison in Loretto, Pennsylvania, joined Shadowproof managing editor Kevin Gosztola to talk about the case of former CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling, which they have both followed closely.

Kiriakou’s reporting describes how officials at the Englewood federal prison, where Sterling is confined, failed to give him proper medical treatment for heart attack symptoms. Gosztola recently exchanged letters with Sterling and published a report on how the Bureau of Prisons is failing him.

During the interview, Kiriakou shares his experiences with prison medical care and how all too often those who need care are denied proper treatment. He talks about how the Bureau of Prisons thinks prisoners like Sterling are malingering, which means they are lying about and faking serious health problems. He also describes why it is so important for a person in this situation to have outside support.

Sterling has demanded the prison give him access to an outside doctor so that he can have his severe heart problems addressed.

“The prison has already proven several times that they are either unable or unwilling to help Jeffrey Sterling,” Kiriakou stated. “The only way that he can be treated properly and appropriately is by an outside specialist, and that’s really what we all have to push for.”

One of the only things that has pushed the prison to respond to Sterling’s requests for treatment is pressure from supporters. If you are interested in helping Sterling, call the Bureau of Prisons’ North Central Regional Office at (913) 621-3939 or FCI Englewood at (303) 763-4300.