By Bob Christie | AZ Capitol Times
Key Points:
- Federal judge to appoint receiver for Arizona’s prison healthcare system
- Receiver to oversee care for over 25,000 state inmates
- Arizona’s prison healthcare system is understaffed and underfunded
The federal judge who ordered the takeover of Arizona’s prison healthcare system earlier this year is looking to quickly appoint a receiver to oversee the care of more than 25,000 state inmates.
Having a receiver in place soon is critical, U.S. District Judge Roslyn Silver noted, because she wants that person to participate in negotiations between Gov. Katie Hobbs and Republican lawmakers for the next fiscal year starting on July 1.
The goal is to ensure that the new budget has enough money to bring inmate care up to minimum standards demanded by the U.S. Constitution.
Silver issued an order last week telling attorneys for the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry and lawyers for the inmates who sued to interview the former Ohio corrections director and agree on whether she should get the job by the end of this month.
