August 26, 2010

Summary & Analysis of the First 17 Medical Inspections of California Prisons

The California Office of the Inspector General, Bureau of Audits and Investigations released a report reviewing 17 California state prisons. The review found that of the 17 state prisons reviewed, only two met minimum health care standards for medical policies and procedures dictated by the California Department of Correction and Rehabilitation. The inspection includes 166 yes-or-no questions, with a “yes” response indicating compliance. Due to a class action lawsuit, Plata v. Schwarzenegger, prison medical care in the state is overseen by the court and the California Prison Health Care Receiver, which have not yet defined any specific level of compliance that meets constitutional standards. Therefore, the reviewers were not charged with assessing whether a prison failed or passed the inspection, although the Receiver requires facilities to develop specific corrective action plans for areas scoring below 60% compliance.