Overseer Moves to Seize $8B in California Funds for Prison Health Care
A court-appointed overseer for health care in California prisons has asked a federal judge to turn over $8 billion in state funds.
J. Clark Kelso said the money is needed to meet minimum constitutional standards for prison health care, the Los Angeles Times reports. He said U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson should order officials to give him the money and issue contempt citations for both Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and California Controller John Chiang.
Kelso is also seeking $2 million a day in fines for each day that payment is delayed, the Daily Journal reports (sub. req.).
State officials claim they need legislative authorization before they can act. Schwarzenegger sought $7 billion for Kelso’s reform plan in his state budget but the request was blocked by the legislature.
Kelso’s request comes as the state scrambles to cope with a $15.2 billion budget deficit.
