Prisons Still Suck...The Privatization Debacle

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

From today's LA Times:

Two appointees whom Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger sent to fix California's dysfunctional prison healthcare system pushed a $26-million, no-bid contract for outside medical services while contract reviewers steadfastly maintained it was overpriced and illegal, records and interviews show.

But instead of providing a strong step toward reforming the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's $1.8-billion medical system, the handling of this relatively small contract erupted into a fight that forced out the two appointees and highlights what critics say are systemic contracting breakdowns that helped bloat healthcare costs at the state's 33 prisons. (LA Times 6/4/07)

Well, I guess I would add one thing. Privatization is not the answer to all things public. If Arnold wants to get this stuff done, then he should be willing to pump money into prison health care. This little debacle was a disaster from the get-go, but the conservatives just love their privatization and had to help build the prison-industrial complex. But like most other conservative privatization efforts, it was a debacle. Well, at least prisoners get single payer health care...