Pilot drug treatment program on hold at Westmoreland County Prison
Westmoreland County Prison officials are going back to the drawing board with plans to start a pilot medically assisted treatment program at the facility, after a Texas-based company’s proposal came in at more than twice the estimated cost.
Warden John Walton said Baymark Health Services’ proposal came in at $407,000, while the expectation was closer to $175,000. Baymark had reached out to the prison board because the company was interested in expanding into Pennsylvania, but Walton said the $407,000 price isn’t feasible because it requires the board to commit to the program beyond the pilot year.
Walton said the price was so high due, most likely, to the number of employees the prison would need to hire to conduct the program, including a psychiatrist, several nurses and other employees.
Officials hoped to apply for a medically assisted treatment (MAT) grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, which is planning to award up to 12 grants of $150,000 for the program. Without a more affordable option, Walton said he wouldn’t apply for the grant.
A MAT program isn’t mandated by the state, but state correctional facilities began a program in June with federal assistance. Walton said continuity issues occur when a state prisoner enrolled in the program is transferred to the county lockup because the county doesn’t have a MAT program.
“It’s not required through legislation, but there has been litigation filed,” said Walton. “We are just trying to get a head of this thing.”
Recently, an inmate being treated with suboxone was sent to Westmoreland County from the State Correctional Institution at Somerset. A nurse at SCI-Somerset gave Walton a heads up because the county prison has no treatment program that would allow the prisoner to continue getting the medication. Fortunately, Walton said, the sheriff’s department was able to transport the prisoner to and from the state facility in the same day, so his treatment plan wasn’t disrupted.
“It’s becoming more common,” said Walton. “SCI-Somerset is so close we can do that, but what do we do when it’s a facility halfway across the state?”
“It’s going to continue to happen,” he said.
Walton said the next step is to look to other potential state or federal sources for funding.
While the county is in good shape financially, prison board members said they could not support the $400,000 expenditure.
Walton said they aren’t giving up, but noted it’s a MAT program is currently an “unfunded request” from the state. He said it eventually it could become a mandate.
In the last year, the county started a pilot Vivitrol program, which has proven to be successful. County officials have said they may want to expand it in the future.
In other business, Walton reported the prison’s August population was near capacity. Commitments were high in August with 110 female inmates as of Monday, and 61 commitments in a 10-day period. Walton said it’s one of the highest capacity numbers he’s seen in a while, but he knows what’s driving it.
“We had a bunch come in with lots of different charges and nobody was posting bail,” said Walton.
They couldn’t he explained, until they got their court-ordered alcohol/drug and mental evaluations, which takes time.