Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Quorum Court considers jail issues

How far should the county go in order to cut medical expenses and is there a way to gain control of the situation without putting prisoners - and the county - in danger?

Those were questions addressed by the Nevada County Quorum Court during the regular May meeting as justices of the peace once again turned their attention to the jails budget. The biggest problem facing that facility now is the cost of medical treatment and transportation of prisoners to obtain that treatment.

Nevada County Sheriff Bobby Carlton suggested to the JPs that having a nurse practitioner on call could be a way to handle at least some of the complaints. But after hearing a presentation from the nurse practitioner who handles calls at Hempstead County Jail, JPs decided that wasnt the answer.

Carlton said during the May 14 meeting that several inmates were slated for doctors appointments the following day. Carlton said that the county would incur the cost of the doctors visits, any medications prescribed and the cost of transportation. He said hed looked into Hempsteads policies and wanted JPs to consider the possibility of a nurse practitioner.

The nurse in question said she would become the countys on-call medical person for a monthly salary of $650. The physician who would oversee her work would charge $900. After some consideration, JPs decided that the cost alone was sufficient to deny the change.

One point made by the nurse practitioner was that inmates who want to go for doctors visits are often seeking a way for some time out of jail. She predicted the requests for medical attention would fall off, once it becomes clear that shes only going to transport those who she determines are ill with something that requires a doctors visit.

Carlton agreed with that assessment.

They just want to do to the doctor, Carlton said. Ive got 12 wanting to go tomorrow.

That brought up the possibility of liability - a point several JPs said makes them uncomfortable.

JP Mike Otwell cited the potential for becoming liable for a patient who was truly ill and was denied transportation to a doctor or the hospital.

How can you tell when somebodys really sick, or not? asked JP Susie Key.

The nurse said there are a series of questions she would ask to make that determination.

Can you assure us that she would be the only one liable? asked JP Myrna Watters.

Nevada County Attorney Dana Stone said, If somebody died in jail, theyre going to have everybody involved in it.

JP Willie Wilson said he agrees that there are some prisoners who are abusing the system by requesting unnecessary medical attention.

But we dont want to stand before a federal judge to explain, Wilson said.

The county is taking some steps in an attempt to gain control of the situation. Stone said the prosecutors are now requesting restitution. That means any prisoner who is fined will have the cost of medical treatment added to his or her fine amounts. The problem, according to Stone, is that many of those are headed to the Arkansas Department of Corrections and most wont ever be in a position to pay the fines or the restitution.

Without coming to any agreement other than the fact that a nurse practitioner wasnt the answer, JPs agreed to form a committee to consider the best way to handle medical costs for prisoners.