California prison czar scales back plan for medical care

Sacramento Bee ^ | 2/6/9 | Andy Furillo

[SmithL]

The prison medical czar today offered downsized versions of his plan to build long-term care beds for physically and mentally ill inmates, the least expensive of which would cost the deficit-ridden state $2.5 billion.

Federal receiver Clark Kelso offered the alternatives as more budget-minded options to what had been an $8 billion plan that would have paid for 10,000 beds and fixed up existing medical facilities in California's 32 prisons.

He said that he is "cognizant" of California's impending $40 billion budget deficit, but that the plan is needed to bring the state into constitutional compliance to provide health care to its 170,000-plus inmates. He said he wants to fund the program with bonds.

Kelso's options start with the $2.5 billion plan that would provide 5,000 beds only for medically impaired prisoners, not the psychiatric cases. It would cost $480 million a year to operate at a per-inmate cost of $96,000.

The second option would include mentally ill inmates. It would spend $4.3 billion for 7,536 beds, cost $823 million a year to run and include a per-prisoner tab of $109,000.

The third option would also cover both medical and mental care, provide 10,068 beds and cost $6 billion to build and $1.39 billion to run every year. The per inmate cost: $138,000.

[research99]

More argument, to simply contract out prisoners to facilities in other states. No $100000/year unionized prison guards or multi-million dollar facilities would be needed that way.

Perhaps Sheriff Joe in Phoenix, could get taxpayers more for their money, by incarcerating 10,000 California inmates (including many illegal aliens) in tents each Summer out in the Arizona desert.

Inmates would receive their entitlements: Pink underwear, green bologna, and work on a chain gang clearing roadsides (for exercise and fresh air).