Medicaid and Financing Health Care for Individuals Involved with the Criminal Justice System
The appropriate use of federal Medicaid dollars to help expand health care coverage for individuals involved with the criminal justice system presents an opportunity to achieve reductions in state and local spending, while minimizing known health and public safety concerns associated with reentry following incarceration. However, opportunities to maximize and maintain Medicaid enrollment for eligible individuals in this population, and especially to make use of Medicaid to finance certain types of care provided to those who are incarcerated, have been largely underutilized by states. This brief provides an overview of opportunities to expand health care coverage, as well as access to and continuity of care; improve public health and safety outcomes for individuals involved with the criminal justice system; and reduce state and local expenditures on corrections and health care.
s one of the first points of contact in the criminal justice system, sheriff’s offices and their correctional facilities are key players in addressing the immediate needs of families impacted by incarceration and promoting family connections. For jails to meet the needs of families in the community, coordinating across county lines and learning from peers are essential. However, jail systems are often siloed, and collaboration between jails in different counties is rare. In Minnesota, the state department of health stepped in to address this gap.
Read MoreOn April 6, 2023, the New Hampshire Governor’s Advisory Commission on Mental Illness and the Corrections System met to review final data analysis and policy recommendations presented by staff from the CSG Justice Center as part of the state’s Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI).
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