Prison Health Receiver Moves Ahead on Plans for Three New Facilities
On Thursday, the court-appointed receiver for California's prison health care system signed construction design documents to commit the state to spending $2.5 billion on three new health care facilities for inmates with chronic medical and mental health conditions, the Ventura County Star reports.
J. Clark Kelso was appointed by Federal District Court Judge Thelton Henderson to bring the state's prison health care system up to constitutional standards after a class action lawsuit found that state officials failed to improve conditions at the facilities.
Kelso said he filed notices under the California Environmental Quality Act to evaluate the construction projects at two planned facilities in San Diego and Stockton. He said he has not yet filed notices for a third site, potentially in Camarillo.
Each of the three health care facilities will contain 1,500 inmates (Herdt, Ventura County Star, 7/11).
Capital Public Radio's "KXJZ News" reported on the construction plan (O'Mara, "KXJZ News," Capital Public Radio, 7/10).
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