Virginia could save millions by letting more old and sick prisoners free, audit says [View all]

[TexasTowelie]

Relaxing the rules around releasing some of Virginia’s oldest and sickest prison inmates could save the state millions of dollars, according to a new audit.

The study, conducted after lawmakers raised concerns about growing Department of Corrections medical costs, showed Virginia’s spending on healthcare per inmate is growing 7.6 percent annually – almost double the rate of growth for Medicaid spending.

The state spent about $6,500 on medical expenses per inmate in fiscal year 2017 – that’s about the same the state spends per Medicaid member.

And its most expensive inmates are the sickest and oldest.

Read more: https://pilotonline.com/news/government/virginia/article_25055972-ecce-11e8-bedc-33e616e5458b.html