Some Connecticut lawmakers and others are questioning the lucrative, no-bid contract the UConn Health Center has to provide mental health and medical services to the state prison system, The Associated Press reports.
The Farmington health center has a nearly $97 million contract with no expiration date for this year, up from about $93 million last year.
Republican state Sen. Rob Kane of Watertown says it’s worth seeing if another provider can do the job at a better price, especially in light of the state’s projected $3.7 billion deficit.
The health-center division that performs the services, Correctional Managed Health Care, has 807 full- and part-time employees.
The Hartford Courant reports that there are roughly 17,900 inmates in state prisons and 4,700 inmates in community-based programs. About 18 percent of the inmate population has mental illness.
