State Rep. Neal P. Goodman, D-123, announced legislation Wednesday with state Rep. Mike Fleck, R-81, that would prohibit the privatization of mental health services at any Pennsylvania state corrections facility.
Goodman said psychologists are important in ensuring the safety of both employees and residents during and after an inmate's incarceration.
"I have two state prisons in my legislative district, SCI/Frackville and SCI/Mahanoy, and safety at these facilities is a personal issue for me." Goodman said. "The people who work there and their families are not just constituents and neighbors. They are my friends."
Known as House Bill 1011, the proposed legislation would prevent state funds appropriated to the corrections department from being redirected to privatize or outsource psychological services within the state prison system. The bill currently has 27 co-sponsors and bipartisan support.
"I have a hard time understanding why the Department of Corrections would seek to disrupt a system of employee selection, training and implementation that functions so well," Fleck, who also has two state prisons located in his legislative district, said Wednesday. "I can understand the need to spend tax dollars in the most frugal and efficient manner but this is a core function of state government that should stay within the public realm."
According to Goodman and Fleck, outsourcing mental health services would impact as many as 187 positions, including 159 licensed psychologists, licensed psychologist managers and psychological services specialists. More than 10,000 state prison inmates, or one in every five, require some sort of mental health monitoring or treatment, according to DOC statistics.
Bruce Mapes, Pennsylvania Psychological Association president-elect, joined Goodman and Fleck at the news conference Wednesday outside the state Capitol to discuss the proposed bill.
"Psychologists in state prisons perform essential functions in addition to mental health treatment by evaluating prisoners for security risks, helping to manage them while they are in prison and offering opinions relevant to their discharge," Mapes said Wednesday. "These services, which are necessary to ensure the safety of the prison and society should not be delegated to the lowest bidder from the private sector. Although we live in an era of fiscal austerity, it would be irresponsible for us to try to save a little money now by knowingly creating a substantial increase in costs later and a reduction in public safety."
Kathy Jellison, Service Employees International Union Local 668 president, was also at the conference.
"The jobs at stake are career positions with the Department of Corrections," Jellison said Wednesday. "Besides having to meet high standards of professional qualifications and training, the staff professionals in question have years of specialized experience. If an outside contractor is brought in, it will mean new personnel with a long learning curve. It's not fair to the community; it's not fair to the men and women who have devoted years to these jobs; it's not fair to the inmates; and it's not even fair to the new hires."
A similar bill is expected to be introduced in the state Senate by Sen. Tim Solobay, D-46.
Last year, Goodman co-sponsored legislation that would prevent the privatization or outsourcing of nursing services within the state prison system. Gov. Tom Corbett did not sign the legislation into action.