Post by pavel on Apr 21, 2016 2:49:41 GMT -6
ALBUQUERQUE — Gov. Susana Martinez on Wednesday said problems with the state prison system’s inmate health care identified by a Santa Fe New Mexican investigation were legacies from the previous administration that have been resolved under hers. But how exactly they have been resolved, she didn’t say.
They were her first public comments, brief as they were, about a special report published in Sunday’s New Mexican showing that the state provided paltry oversight of Corizon Health, a Tennessee-based company that provides medical services for prison inmates, despite a growing number of inmate lawsuits and other warnings that raised concerns about the company’s care.
“Certainly the quality of care and the safety of prisoners is extremely important to me and the Cabinet secretary,” Martinez said in response to a reporter’s questions at an unrelated news conference. “I know that they had problems in the previous administration and they carried over into mine. Secretary [Gregg] Marcantel certainly became aware of that, addressed it, and that issue has been resolved — those issues have been resolved. Because the safety of those prisoners and the health care that is provided to those prisoners is extremely important.”
When asked if she thinks that there should be an independent monitor overlooking the health care provider and the quality of work it provides, she responded: “The Cabinet secretary, that’s his purpose, to make sure the operation of the entire prison system is working. There’s an RFP [request for proposals] that’s going out soon. So we will be choosing someone to provide health care to the prisoners, and certainly we want to choose the best one.”
Read more: www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/governor-claims-inmate-care-problems-have-been-fixed/article_cd973611-538a-56ab-8c16-9ee9880af3ec.html
They were her first public comments, brief as they were, about a special report published in Sunday’s New Mexican showing that the state provided paltry oversight of Corizon Health, a Tennessee-based company that provides medical services for prison inmates, despite a growing number of inmate lawsuits and other warnings that raised concerns about the company’s care.
“Certainly the quality of care and the safety of prisoners is extremely important to me and the Cabinet secretary,” Martinez said in response to a reporter’s questions at an unrelated news conference. “I know that they had problems in the previous administration and they carried over into mine. Secretary [Gregg] Marcantel certainly became aware of that, addressed it, and that issue has been resolved — those issues have been resolved. Because the safety of those prisoners and the health care that is provided to those prisoners is extremely important.”
When asked if she thinks that there should be an independent monitor overlooking the health care provider and the quality of work it provides, she responded: “The Cabinet secretary, that’s his purpose, to make sure the operation of the entire prison system is working. There’s an RFP [request for proposals] that’s going out soon. So we will be choosing someone to provide health care to the prisoners, and certainly we want to choose the best one.”
Read more: www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/governor-claims-inmate-care-problems-have-been-fixed/article_cd973611-538a-56ab-8c16-9ee9880af3ec.html