PROVO, Utah (AP) - The Utah County jail will get a $1 million influx to pay for the ballooning medical expenses of a man who case highlighted the struggle to pay for inmate health care.
The Daily Herald reports the Utah County Commission approved the transfer Tuesday, a month after Sheriff Jim Tracy resigned when faced with the possibility of having to lay off employees and close jail beds to pay the bills.
Jails are required to provide inmates with necessary medical care, and the cost of cancer treatment for a single inmate had outstripped the Utah County’s medical budget. It’s a problem faced by jails around the country.
Also Tuesday, the Utah County Commission approved budget changes of $500,000 for increased gas prices and $650,000 to cover vote-by-mail election costs.
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