Overview
- U.S. District Judge Roslyn Silver ordered control of health and mental-health services in state-run prisons shifted to a court-appointed receiver.
- Lawyers for the state and prisoners must propose the receiver’s duties within 30 days and submit five candidates within 60 days.
- The decision follows years of documented constitutional violations, including a 2022 ruling that found care was grossly inadequate and marked by deliberate indifference leading to preventable harm.
- Silver rejected the state’s objections and indicated the receiver can require additional spending, with costs and a start date still to be determined.
- The takeover excludes roughly 10,000 people in private prisons, and significant staffing gaps persist despite spending rising from about $300 million to about $400 million and only 84% of provider posts filled.