At the inpatient mental health facility known as 3A at the Des Moines Iowa VA medical center, patients are not allowed time outside despite it being a part of several recommended coping mechanisms on materials provided while inside the unit. The VA staff insist they have been advocating, but bureaucracy has prevented any changes from being made after this being a common complaint for several years. Maximum security prisons grant prisoners up to 2 hours of time outside per day, but there are Veterans right now in the Des Moines 3A that haven't been outside in over 30 days. There is not even a policy to allow well-behaved or voluntarily admitted patients any time outside. Please demand policy changes for short term improvements, and funding is needed for structural improvements to provide Veterans time outside and in the fresh air while being secure from escape or self-harm. Veterans receiving inpatient mental health deserve their human rights to time outside a least a few minutes each day if maximum security prisoners get hours. Please interview the patients, nursing assistants, and nurses that have made these complaints and advocated for change to the inpatient mental health clinic 3A at the Des Moines VA medical center.
