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| $1.27 million in 6 months spent on comatose inmates |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 04/04/2005 |
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The California Department of Corrections spent $1.27 million in just six months last year on medical care for six comatose inmates, not counting the $1,056-per-officer daily cost for security. One of the inmates was at Delano Regional Medical Center from Nov. 7, 2003, until he died Jan. 12, costing the department $851,880 by year's end. Another, at Mercy Hospital in Bakersfield from July 7 to Sept. 26, cost $246,494, the department said. The debate over the wishes of Florida's Terri Schiavo, and who should decide her fate, "is the same debate we're having in our prison system," said Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, who sought the cost accounting. The state may need to find a way for inmates to sign release forms to indicate their health care wishes, and do a better job notifying family members, said Romero, who plans an April 14 hearing on the problem. Though inmates are in state custody, private doctors make medical decisions once inmates go to outside hospitals, and there is often confusion over when family members should be brought in to help with care decisions. "It becomes very difficult because nobody knows who's in charge," Romero said. That was the case with Daniel Provencio, 28, who was treated under guard for 29 days after he was fatally shot in the head with a supposedly non-lethal foam bullet Jan. 16 altercation at Wasco State Prison. His medical care cost more than $100,000, not including the $30,624 in security costs, the department disclosed in its accounting. Provencio's case "was very unique" because he was guarded and treated for 25 days after doctors declared him to be brain dead four days after the shooting, wrote department Director Jeanne Woodford. His family kept him on a ventilator, saying they were hoping for a miracle. He was finally released from custody Feb. 14, ending the department's responsibility, and died March 4. "The Department's staff is not aware of any other inmates in recent memory that continued to receive medical treatment once a physician had made this specific determination" of brain death, Woodford wrote to Romero. Romero, who heads two prison oversight committees, asked for a tally of the number of brain dead and medically incapacitated inmates. The other six inmates were comatose in community hospitals between July and December, Woodford said in her March 17 response. Four of the five died in the hospital, while the sixth left department custody when he was paroled. Four of the six were hospitalized 10 days or less. All were guarded around the clock to protect hospital employees, patients and visitors, and to protect the helpless inmates from enemies, Woodford said. Yet there is no need for "two guards guarding a dead man," as happened for Provencio, said Romero. She said such decisions should be made case by case. Woodford said a task force will be reviewing the department policy; Romero said the issue needs to be addressed in contract negotiations next year with the powerful California Correctional Peace Officers Association. |
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