Posted on 11/10/2008 6:49:15 PM PST by SmithL
Sacramento, CA (AP) --
A private prison company that has been lobbying the Schwarzenegger administration and is a campaign contributor to the governor's causes has made a bid to operate an overhauled inmate medical system, a move that could conflict with court-ordered reforms, according to a document obtained Monday by The Associated Press.
The offer by The GEO Group Inc. of Florida caught the court-appointed receiver overseeing reform of California's inmate health care system by surprise.
In the five-page internal memo obtained by the AP, the receiver's chief of staff repeatedly makes it clear that he believes the bid was solicited by the Schwarzenegger administration and questions the administration's motives.
Chief of staff John Hagar writes that The GEO Group has spent more than $300,000 lobbying the governor's office and Legislature since January. Campaign records on file with the secretary of state's office show the company also made a $50,000 contribution last month to the campaign for Proposition 11, the redistricting initiative on the November ballot backed by Schwarzenegger.
"The solicitation is all the more troublesome because the Federal Court has taken responsibility away from the Secretary of Corrections concerning the delivery of medical services," Hagar wrote in the memo to court receiver Clark Kelso.
Schwarzenegger spokeswoman Lisa Page denied the administration solicited GEO's bid. She said Hagar may be concerned about the overture by a private firm because "the receiver can't defend his $8 billion boondoggle."
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
How many of the state’s public officials reside there?
Healthy inmates make for happy inmates. Their care should be as good as the Black Robed Ones. California is such a rich state after all. cough hack.. ahchoo..
Only union members are qualified to run these hospitals. The union won’t allow the governor or the judge to take away their power.
Yeah, good health care for inmates. I can only shake my head over it since it doesn’t make sense to me.
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