The purpose of this audit was to evaluate the Department's current inmate health care service- delivery activities, plans for managed care, and substance abuse treatment programs. We also followed up on the status of implementation of four medical services recommendations from our 1992 audit of the Department of Corrections. We did not assess the technical competence or performance of the Department or its health care staff in the practice of medicine. We also did not review the Department's mental health programs. The Department provides several types of medical services to inmates.
Offenders receive basic medical care at each facility.
The Department of Corrections does not effectively track inmate use of the health care system. Inmates use health care services frequently. The Department has not collected or analyzed data on inmate use of its medical services. The Department needs systemwide information on inmate utilization to determine the nature and extent of prisoners' demand for services. We believe the Department should review health care costs and utilization patterns from a systemwide perspective.