Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Md. Agrees To Overhaul Health Services In Baltimore Jail As Part Of Settlement In Decades-Long Dispute
State officials agreed Wednesday to overhaul health care services and make improvements to the Baltimore jail system under the terms of a settlement in a decades-long dispute with advocates for prisoners. Under the agreement, the latest in a federal case that dates to 1971, the state will allow three independent monitors to inspect the facility and report to a federal judge, who will enforce compliance. The previous agreement, made six years ago, was not enforceable by a judge. (Fenton, 11/18)
Maryland has agreed to expand medical care at the state-run Baltimore City Detention Center to settle a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of pretrial detainees at the sprawling facility. The deal, announced Wednesday, requires the jail to provide accommodations for people with disabilities and to establish guidelines for assessing, treating and independently monitoring detainees’ physical and mental health. (Hicks, 11/18)
The agreement says the state will overhaul its system for distributing medicine to inmates, as well as how detainees are screened and treated for mental illness. ... The case was settled in 1993 but was reopened in June after the plaintiffs argued that jail conditions were still so substandard it brings “shame to this city.” Inmates suffering from serious illnesses such as HIV and diabetes are being denied life-sustaining prescription medication and the state has failed to cure well-documented systemic problems within the jail after entering into a 2007 agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, the court documents said. (Linderman, 11/18)
And another lawsuit in Washington state -
Four prison inmates have filed a class action lawsuit against the Washington State Department of Corrections claiming prisoners with medical conditions often do not receive adequate care. The lawsuit filed by Columbia Legal Services on Tuesday says hundreds of incarcerated people are regularly denied needed medical care for illnesses such as diabetes or orthopedic issues that involve ongoing pain. The plaintiffs' attorney, Merf Ehman, says the agency's care review committee denies more than 60 percent of requests for treatment and violates the constitutional right of inmates to get adequate medical treatment. (11/18)
