By Joe Rogalsky,
Delaware State News
DOVER - The General Assembly's budget committee approved creating three positions Thursday to provide additional oversight of the Department of Correction's inmate medical care system.
The agency's handling of prisoner health care has come into question in the past year amid newspaper accounts and lawsuits questioning the quality.
The positions, which will pay a combined $238,900 in salary, were created by the Joint Finance Committee as it approved the DOC's operating budget for fiscal 2007, which begins July 1.
"We just want more oversight and supervision," said Sen. Nancy W. Cook, D-Kenton, a JFC co-chair.
Two of the positions are health administrators, which will monitor the level of care prisoners receive, and the other will oversee substance abuse treatment for inmates.
"It's a good-government measure," Jennifer W. Davis, director of the state Office of Management and Budget, said about the additional positions.
The committee also approved spending an additional $2.9 million on the state's contract with Correctional Medical Services, which provides care for the inmates.
The contract for fiscal 2008 will increase to $28.8 million.
The committee did not provide any funding for Senate Bill 291, which was introduced earlier this year and would require many upgrades of the inmate care system, such as medical training for correctional officers and more health screening of prisoners.
The legislative controller general's office estimates the bill would cost $30 million.
"If we're already spending almost $30 million on the contract for health care and then we have to spend another $30 million to get it right, we would really have problems," said Sen. James T. Vaughn, D-Clayton, a JFC member and former commissioner of correction.
Sen. Margaret Rose Henry, D-Wilmington, the sponsor of SB 291, said she plans to reintroduce portions of the bill as smaller, separate measures next year even though Gov. Ruth Ann Minner's administration opposes it.
"I think (Commissioner of Correction Stanley W. Taylor) is working diligently to manage the prison health care system," Mrs. Davis said.
"It is complex and difficult but I think he is doing a good job given the difficult population he has to serve. Personally, I do not think it needs a Draconian overhaul that has been proposed."
In other action
l In approving the budget for the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families, the JFC approved a $3.4 million increase in the amount the agency spends to care for and treat juveniles. The agency saw the number of children in its care increase by 400 this year.
l The JFC nearly finished action on the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control's budget for fiscal 2007. The only section left undecided is the issue of dog control.
DNREC wants to shift responsibility for the program to the counties, who are balking at the idea and the several hundred thousand dollars it will cost.
"We are still barking up a tree," Sen. Cook said.
"We need more information. We are still exploring options."
Staff writer Joe Rogalsky can be reached at 741-8226 or jrogalsky@newszap.com
