Another piece of Guinn's prison privatization plan debated by lawmakers

CARSON CITY -- In a move Gov. Kenny Guinn terms "one more step along the road" to privatization, Nevada lawmakers have been asked to let private firms hire unlicensed mental health professionals to treat convicts.

AB665, discussed Monday in the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, would give private companies the right to hire unlicensed professionals to deal with prisoners with a history of sex offenses or other mental health or addiction problems.

"This would allow private companies to offer these services in the same way that we do," said Don Molde, mental health director for the Department of Prisons.

If this right isn't granted, the bids from private companies vying for the state's business would include the higher salaries of licensed psychologists. That would undermine the benefits of privatization, Molde said.

While privatization has been criticized by some key Democratic lawmakers, the Republican governor said later that without it "we've got to find $4.5 million to plug the hole" in the state's inmate medical services budget.

In releasing his proposed budget in January, Guinn said privatizing medical services would save that much over two years. The state now spends about $29 million a year on prison medical care.

But critics of AB665 argue that anyone who provides certain mental health services to prisoners should be licensed, whether they work for the state or a private contractor.

"Are they ethically capable to practice psychology? Are they intellectually capable to practice psychology?" Steven Graybar, a clinical psychologist with the state Board of Psychological Examiners, asked the committee.

Licensed psychologists are required to keep current with a wide array of psychological research and have to prove their competency with periodic testing - burdens not required of non-licensed professionals, Graybar said.

"I guess if we're going to save money on the front side, we're going to see some very serious lawsuits in the future. That's my concern," Graybar said.

Despite Guinn's enthusiasm for the privatization plan, the Legislature still must approve it. That decision won't come until budgets for 1999-2001 are approved just before the 1999 session adjourns on May 31.

Democrats who oppose the plan include Assemblywoman Jan Evans, D-Sparks, vice-chairwoman of Ways and Means. Democrats have a 28-14 edge in the lower house.

"I would hope that the administration would understand we're talking about a company that is concerned about their bottom line - and if they fail to offer some services, that's fine, they're saving money," said Evans. "This just adds to our anxiety about privatization."

The plan has also been criticized by the state's prison medical workers. About 320 could lose their jobs if health care is turned over to a private company.

Two private companies, Correctional Medical Services of St. Louis and Prison Health Services of Brentwood, Tenn., have submitted proposals to provide medical services for the prison system.

archive