SACRAMENTO (June 16, 2008) — U.S. District Court Judge Thelton Henderson, today issued an order approving the “Turnaround Plan of Action” which was submitted by the Federal Receiver of the California Prison Health Care System. In the Order, which is attached, Judge Henderson writes; “The Court is hopeful that timely implementation of this plan will remedy the deficiencies that led to the creation of the Receivership, and that California prison inmates will finally receive a level of medical health care that meets the requirements of the United States Constitution.”
The Receiver, J. Clark Kelso says: “This is a huge day for the Receivership and its efforts to raise the quality of medical care in California’s prisons to constitutional levels. When I was appointed earlier this year, the Court made it clear that it wanted the Receivership to turn its attention to implementation and to ‘translat[ing] [its] conceptualized reforms into reality.’ (Order Appointing New Receiver, p. 4, Jan.23, 2008). To bring order to the Receiver’s implementation activities, we needed to secure the Court’s final approval regarding our plans to bring California’s prison healthcare system up to constitutional standards. With the Court’s approval today of our ‘Turnaround Plan of Action,’ we now have that final approval. As a result, the parties and the public now know the full extent of the steps that the Receiver and the Court currently believe are necessary to satisfy minimum constitutional standards of medical care in California’s prisons. This is a plan that the Receivership can execute against and implement.”
The approved plan (also attached,) outlines six goals for improving health care in the state. Goal 6, entitled “Provide for Necessary Clinical Administrative and Housing Facilities,” outlines the completion of the phased construction program by July 2013. Appendix A, estimates the one time capital cost at $7 Billion .
Kelso adds; “Having a plan is not enough, of course. The plan must be resourced. While major portions of the Turnaround Plan of Action have already been funded by the State, one of the most significant elements of the plan – the Receiver’s Healthcare Facility Upgrade and Expansion Program – has not been funded. The Court’s final approval of the Turnaround Plan of Action is yet another clear indication to the State of its obligation to support – both financially and otherwise – the Receiver’s remedial plan. I look forward to quickly securing from responsible State officials and/or the Legislature their unequivocal cooperation in funding all elements of the Turnaround Plan of Action.”