Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera toured the Arapahoe County Jail on Jan. 3 to see the challenges that county jails face and learn what's being done to improve services for incarcerated individuals. As part of an OBH pilot program and an effort to provide more efficient medical care to inmates, Arapahoe County Jail was one of the first in the state to go live with a new health information exchange (HIE). An HIE allows patient information to be electronically exchanged through a secure network under strict medical privacy and confidentiality procedures. The HIE allows jail staff to access inmate medical info to ensure that, if they are taking medication, they can continue to receive it while in jail.
Individuals within the criminal justice system are frequently transferred between community treatment providers and criminal justice setting, resulting in inadequate access to medications and other clinical history, and potential gaps for medication consistency and treatment coordination upon community release. Strengthening the medication practices of jail staff is a key priority for Colorado, and recent legislation (SB 17-019) calling for enhanced medication consistency in jails has the potential to positively impact the quality of care provided to individuals within Colorado's jail system. The integration of behavioral and physical health for individuals in the criminal justice system can create positive health outcomes for a vulnerable population, reduce recidivism, and create healthier communities.
For more information on medication consistency in Colorado county jails, visit the CDHS Medication Consistency web page.