Oklahoma County officials are reviewing a contract with prison Health care provider Turn Key Health Clinics after delaying a vote on a New Deal with the company worth more than $7.4 million.
The Oklahoma County Department of Criminal Justice’s contract with Turn Key expired at the end of June, but the company continues to provide medical care to jail inmates on a monthly basis.
The Oklahoma County Jail Trust voted on a new contract with Turn Key at its last meeting in August, with little discussion.
Prison Trust board spokesman Mark Opgrande said the contract was currently under review for the Turn Key contract, which is expected to come up again at its next meeting on September 9.
“Trust leadership believes that a thorough review of all contractual relationships is warranted and appropriate when taxpayer funds are involved,” Ogland said in an email. “The provision of medical care is a requirement and short-term (and) long-term solutions may be explored in the coming months pending approval from the trust.”
If the Prison Trust approves the contract offered in August, it will pay Turn Key a base rate of $7.4 million a year. Chris Sherman, the prison’s chief financial officer, said at the last board meeting that would be $19,000 less than the trust fund paid out last year
The Frontier and The Marshall Project released an investigation in July that examined Turn Key policies and practices that endanger prison personnel. The investigation found that in dozens of instances, Turn Key staff did not take people to the hospital when they were in crisis, catatonic or refusing to eat or drink. The company equips mental health and other medical positions with low-level nursing assistants who are trained to perform basic tasks, such as measuring vital signs, but are not responsible for diagnosing or evaluating medical conditions.
Since 2018, Turn Key has been a medical contractor for the Oklahoma County Jail. A representative for the company said in a statement that it hopes to remain in prison.
“Turn Key’s contract with the Oklahoma County Department of Criminal Justice expired on June 30 of this year. However, in the best interest of patients, Turn Key has decided to continue providing services until the next Bureau of Criminal Justice meeting, at which time the contract can be voted on by the Authority, “Austin Young, Turn Key’s general counsel, said in an email. “If the Authority chooses to enter into a new contract with Turn Key, Turn Key will be proud to continue to serve its patients.”