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Public defender warns jail health contract may leave seriously ill detainees without hospital access; county to review RFP responses
Summary
A member of Hudson County's Public Defender's Office said three suicides occurred at the county jail this year and urged commissioners to require jail-health providers with hospital access; county officials said they received two RFP responses and will review them before awarding the contract.
Amy Albert of the Hudson County Public Defender's Office told commissioners Wednesday that she is seeing rising safety and medical concerns among people jailed in Hudson County, and urged a careful review of the county's request for proposals for jail health services.
"There have been, unfortunately, three suicides completed at the jail this year," Albert told the board. She said mentally ill detainees have waited months for forensic hospital placement, that some inmates with severe mental-health and medical needs remain in custody while awaiting transfer, and that the current WellPath arrangement and the pending RFP structure can discourage hospitalization or fail to provide direct hospital affiliations that streamline care.
Albert described cases in which detainees awaiting forensic placement remained in custody for long periods, and an instance in which a person who was later transported was found by staff to be deceased shortly after a call for medical attention. She urged the county to consider providers with existing hospital relationships or to explore using county mental-health facilities as part of the care pathway.
County Administrator Abraham Antun said the county issued the RFP, received two responses and has not acted on them; he agreed to review whether the proposals include hospital-affiliated care or other measures Albert recommended. Commissioner William O'Dea said he would "have difficulty voting for either contract" if the concerns Albert raised were not addressed.
Commissioners asked staff to re-check the RFP responses in light of the safety concerns and consider an addendum or reissuing the RFP if key elements — such as hospital privileges or direct hospital transfer protocols — are missing. Administrators also noted the fiscal and operational constraints of hospital transports, including staff escort requirements and reimbursement considerations.
Next steps: county procurement and corrections leadership will review the RFP responses and report back to commissioners; commissioners signaled they would not finalize a contract award without assurance the provider arrangement meets clinical and safety needs raised at the hearing.
