SACRAMENTO (March 11, 2008 – Federal Receiver J. Clark Kelso has released a draft strategic plan for a 30-day public review and comment period. The strategic plan, “Achieving a Constitutional Level of Medical Care in California’s Prisons,” sets forth 5 goals, 18 objectives within those goals, and 35 actions within those objectives, to provide, as soon as practicable, constitutionally adequate medical care to patient-inmates of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation within a delivery system the State can successfully manage and sustain.

According to the strategic plan, the overall mission of the Receivership is to reduce unnecessary morbidity and mortality and protect public health by providing patient-inmates timely access to safe, effective and efficient medical care, and coordinate the delivery of medical care with mental health, dental and disability programs. In releasing the strategic plan, Kelso explained that “our mission is basically a simple one: Reduce unnecessary deaths and illness by giving patient-inmates timely access to competent medical and clinical personnel who are informed by accurate patient records, supported by appropriate facilities, equipment and processes, and can order appropriate medications, treatment modalities, specialists and appropriate levels of care.”

The strategic plan is available on the Receivership’s website at Comments on the plan may be sent by email to www.cprinc.org. or regular mail to Receiver’s Strategic Plan, P.O. Box 4038, Sacramento, CA 95812-4038.

The draft strategic plan does not include cost estimates which are still being finalized. The Receiver is working collaboratively with the Department of Finance on proposed appropriations to support the strategic plan and will work with the Legislature over the next several months to explain the rationale for the plan and its associated expenditures.

In addition to receiving public comment, the draft strategic plan will be reviewed by the Plata Advisory Working Group (PWG) and other interested stakeholders. The PWG assisted the Court in reviewing the previous Receiver’s November 15, 2007, Plan of Action. In its January 23, 2008, order appointing a new Receiver, the District Court adopted recommendations by the PWG finding: (1) that further work was necessary on the Plan of Action; and, (2) that the Court should appoint an Advisory Board to assist in the Court’s oversight of the Plata case. It is expected the permanent Advisory Board will be appointed upon submission of the final version of the Receiver’s strategic plan to the Court.