Cost of crime: more than $7M approved for inmate health care

While there are many contributing factors to calculating the cost of crime and its burden on the taxpayer, the $7,716,836.44 price tag on healthcare for inmates at the Jefferson County Correctional Facility, is definitely one of the most substantial figures. 

In their regularly scheduled meeting on June 13, Jefferson County Commissioners unanimously approved to award, execute and receive the contract with CorrHealth to provide inmate health care services for Jefferson County Correctional Facility. The more than $7 million contract is for a one-year term base annual payment, to be paid in 12 equal monthly payments of $643,069.70, an increase of approximately $3.1 million, according to a statement by County Judge Jeff Branick. 

“Before COVID, we had roughly a 600 daily population, and I think there was 915 according to the sheriff this morning,” said Branick. “We’ve seen a 50% increase in inmates over the past couple of years, primarily due to the backup in the court system related to the COVID pandemic, and she’s taking care of a lot more people than we were before… a 25% (cost) increase for a 50% increase in inmates.”

Sheriff Zena Stephens spoke in response to the court’s comments. 

“Over the past few years we’ve had an increase in population, and people have medical and mental health conditions, and the longer they stay in our jail, we are obligated and responsible for treating them, and once you do that, then you have to medicate them,” said Stephens, who went on to say that the increase in the cost of health care and medication greatly contributes to the increased cost of providing health care to inmates. “It is not poor management or mismanagement, it’s inflation and the cost of doing business.” 

“CorrHealth has been an excellent partner and they do a tremendous job supporting their employees, as well as ours. They’ve been extremely transparent with our true costs, and I appreciate the lengths they go to in an effort to reduce our costs, while maintaining a high level of care and service. For me, their level of transparency and detail with finance and operations gives us a level of trust which we haven’t experienced with any other provider,” said John Shauberger, Jefferson County chief deputy.