Mr. Richard A. Lanham, Sr.
Commissioner
Maryland Division of Correction
6776 Reisterstown Road
Baltimore, Maryland 21215
Re: Health Care Services in the Division
Dear Mr. Lanham:
We understand from news reports that the Division has now entered into 18- month contracts with two different contractors for a total of $47.3 million. We understand that the contract negotiations, especially when involving such a substantial amount of money, were complicated and lengthy. We are hoping that now that agreements have been reached and are in hand, the Division is in a better position to answer some of the questions our membership has had and to furnish us with copies of relevant documents.
First, it would be very helpful to us to be able to review the contracts entered into by the DOC with the two providers. We are requesting by this letter that DOC furnish us with copies of those contracts. We believe the contracts can best provide background and an in depth perspective into this area.
Our purpose is that, as a group of interested citizens and an inmate advocacy group, the Maryland Prison Renewal Committee wishes to educate its members about health care in the Division and assist inmates with the problems they may be having. We seek to gain a broad and generalized understanding of the issues and to promote quality of and access to care.
Second, several months ago, you might remember that I wrote to Ms. Patricia Austin with a number of questions regarding health care in the Division. Subsequent to this letter, you and I spoke over the telephone on a number of topics but of note, you mentioned to me that certain of our questions delved into topics areas that were especially sensitive and the Division was not in a position to furnish information as requested at that time.
We certainly appreciated that out of necessity the Division could not and would not supply answers in certain areas or that answers in certain topic areas would be premature. I emphasized to you then that, as expressly stated in our initial letter addressed to Ms. Austin, our intent was not to be burdensome and that there was no intent to litigate or to contemplate litigation.
Of course, we are still interested in knowing much of the information requested in our earlier letter, but for all of the above reasons and after a great deal of consideration, we are submitting to you a completely revised list of questions, hopefully, within the Division's ability to respond to. Please note that the list below is substantially different and specifically avoids possible areas of controversy or where negotiations may be underway:
I think you will agree that all of these questions are of vital importance to health care delivery in the Division. I hope you will respond to them without delay. Feel free to furnish copies of source materials if that is more convenient than culling specific answers to individual questions. We would also appreciate receive reports or other materials not mentioned here that you think pertinent to our objectives. We will appreciate your every effort and expect to be able to assist you with these problems as they arise.
Thank you for your attention to this letter. If you have any questions or require additional information, please call me at either the MPRC number or my home number. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Nancy Moran
Chairperson, Health Care Subcommittee, Maryland Prison Renewal Committee
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cc:
Mr. Lawrence Rose
Mr. Bishop Robinson