Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Corrections Healthcare topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident urges separation of jail healthcare oversight from sheriff—or proposed detention-area health services
Summary
A public commenter supported county-funded health services but urged independent oversight rather than placing expanded health offices under the sheriff, citing past overdose deaths and concerns about drugs inside the detention center.
A Harnett County resident told the Board of Commissioners on June 16 that expansion of health services tied to the county detention center should not be overseen by the sheriff nd urged independent oversight and stronger controls to stop alleged drug access in custody.
The comment matters because the county is considering health-related facilities connected with the detention center; the resident said oversight structure and accountability will affect whether the programs deliver treatment or merely generate revenue without reducing substance access for people in custody.
Alan Longman, a resident who identified concerns about recent deaths in the detention center, said he supports health care expansion but wants an oversight structure separate from the sheriff—ecause, he said, "I don't want sheriff's department to have a separate division that was independent of the present sheriff... They need to be separate." Longman described allegations he has heard that drugs and drug sales occur within jails and said stronger transparency — cameras, independent monitoring and financial oversight — are necessary if the county expands jail-linked health services. "I am for health care completely, but I have my doubts about how efficiently it's going to be run," he said.
Longman asked the commissioners to ensure procurement and contract decisions are transparent and to put accountable leadership in place for any treatment programs tied to the detention facility. The board received the comment during the public-comment period and did not take immediate action on oversight or procurement policy.
The comment is part of the public meeting record and may inform future discussions about the design, oversight and contracting for health services associated with the detention center.
