#factsmatter, The Citizens Research Council Of Michigan Podcast

Guest Host Estelle Slootmaker, who recently reported on this issue for SecondWave Media Michigan, interviews Research Council Analyst Karley Abramson. In a nutshell: - Health care to prisoners is a costly endeavor, yet the Michigan Department of Corrections does not adequately assess whether it meets its legal obligations to prisoners in the most cost-effective way. - Three important questions are currently unknowable: Are Michigan prisoners being taken care of up to the constitutional standards that the state is supposed to meet? Is the care being provided efficiently? And is it the best use of taxpayer money? - Improving quality of care and maximizing cost-effectiveness of the prison health care system requires a significant amount of data to identify and understand potential cost-drivers. - Since every resident in Michigan has a stake in the quality and efficiency of the prison health care system, the state should ensure that the relevant data regarding prisoner health and spending be made available to