By Cainen Chambers
Contributing Writer

Has the mental health of incarcerated persons declined because the state has turned to private contractors to cover unfilled staff positions in mental health? 

A hearing in Sacramento explored concerns of whether private contractors have the capacity to provide sufficient continuity of care at state institutions. 

California has 140 open positions for psychiatrists in its prison system and its state hospitals. A press release by the Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD) alleges that cost cutting has decreased the level of care afforded to the most vulnerable persons in state custody. 

“Taxpayers are not being served when rehabilitation of the incarcerated is not a priority,” said the president of the UAPD, Dr. Stuart Bussey. “Failing to treat mental illness only adds to the state’s costs through greater levels of violence and services for the homeless,” he added. 

Dr. Navreet Mann, a psychiatrist who practiced at San Quentin and at Folsom, called the state “shortsighted” according to the press release. 

“Delivering effective mental healthcare is based on establishing trust. Asking a contractor to pop in and out of an inmate’s life won’t build trust, so you end up with people being released who remain in need of mental health care. That’s not good for the public,” Mann said. 

The UAPD, the largest union of licensed physicians and advanced practice clinicians nationwide, has lobbied for more than 5,000 members in California, New Mexico and Washington for over 50 years. It has affiliations with AFSCME and AFL-CIO.