The federal government currently has a receiver on California’s prison system, citing a dire need for change in its medical care of inmates. A debate has sparked over what necessitates a change, and at what point are those changes merely frivolous spending. According to a California report, the receiver’s plan includes spending $8 billion to build seven health care facilities for prison inmates. While this seems like a worthwhile venture, the receiver’s plan also calls for yoga classes, basketball courts, electronic bingo equipment, and peaceful courtyards maintained for relaxation. In our falling economy, most citizens cannot even afford these types of amenities for themselves.
Governor Schwarzenegger finds the receiver’s planning to be extreme and unnecessary, and is trying to get the receiver replaced by a special master. The special master would work with the state and the federal courts to implement an adequate and lawful inmate health care system within California’s prisons. The situation does require an immediate action, as prison health care remains less than adequate. California state Senator Jackie Speier has been quoted as saying, "the healthcare system at CDC is sick...twenty percent of the physicians that work at CDC have either a bad mark on their record or a series of malpractice lawsuits." This figure relates to a figure that is over five times higher than that of the general population of physicians in California. Our prison system does need to implement structured changes to inmate health care, but in this financial crisis $8 billion is asking too much.
Governor Schwarzenegger finds the receiver’s planning to be extreme and unnecessary, and is trying to get the receiver replaced by a special master. The special master would work with the state and the federal courts to implement an adequate and lawful inmate health care system within California’s prisons. The situation does require an immediate action, as prison health care remains less than adequate. California state Senator Jackie Speier has been quoted as saying, "the healthcare system at CDC is sick...twenty percent of the physicians that work at CDC have either a bad mark on their record or a series of malpractice lawsuits." This figure relates to a figure that is over five times higher than that of the general population of physicians in California. Our prison system does need to implement structured changes to inmate health care, but in this financial crisis $8 billion is asking too much.
The receiver’s current plan would skyrocket the annual operating cost per inmate from $42,000 to $230,000 a year. The plan would also add 10,000 new beds for prisoners, and would renovate existing health care facilities in 33 prisons. In an economy where people are losing their homes and jobs with alarming regularity, are we really ready to spend $8 billion so prisoners can play bingo in manicured courtyards?
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