Cash-strapped Arizona will boost prison health-care spending

Arizona’s prison system is under a judge’s orders to vastly improve health care for inmates but the costs add pressure on a state budget already deep in the red.

Bob Christie Capitol Media Services
PHOENIX — Arizona’s state-run prison system will boost health-care spending and medical staffing by more than a third as it works to meet a federal judge’s orders that it vastly improve treatment of its  nearly 25,000 inmates, but the move puts added pressure on a state budget already deep in the red.State corrections director Ryan Thornell, who was appointed to the post by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs shortly after she took office in January, told lawmakers Thursday that he expects the boost in the contracted per-day medical care rate to satisfy the judge’s orders to improve medical, mental and other inmate treatment.”This (contract) amendment accomplishes all of those areas we need in terms of expanded staffing, services, medications to bring us into compliance” with the court orders, Thornell told a legislative c …

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