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Abstract: 

Since the early 1970s, poor medical care has become a major prisoner’s right issue. The alleged absence of adequate health care has led to countless lawsuits filed by dissatisfied inmates. Court decisions resulting from these decisions have declared the unreasonable deprivation of medical and dental care unconstitutional and some states, such as Texas, have been ordered to take remedial action. The Texas class action prison case, one of the oldest in the nation, is still not fully resolved. The Ruiz case began in 1972, was tried in 1978, and concluded in 1981 with a judgement order based upon a consent decree. In 1990, the court ordered the parties to negotiate a comprehensive settlement, and in 1992, it entered into a final judgement in nine areas, but continues its injunctive orders in others. In 1996, based upon the enactment of the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA), motions were filed to terminate the court’s involvement.

Keywords: TDCJ, UTMB, drug costs, Performance Indicator, compliance, Managed Care, staffing, telemedicine

Affiliations:  .