HLS 20RS-1659 ORIGINAL
2020 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 91
BY REPRESENTATIVE LANDRY
HEALTH SERVICES: Requests a study of the adequacy of health services provided to
persons incarcerated in state correctional facilities
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To urge and request Voice of the Experienced, the Formerly Incarcerated Transition Clinic
3 at the Ruth U. Fertel Tulane Community Health Center, Loyola University New
4 Orleans College of Law, and the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center
5 at New Orleans to study the adequacy of health services provided to inmates in
6 facilities operated by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, and to report
7 findings of the study to the legislature.
8 WHEREAS, in Estelle v. Gamble, 429 U.S. 97 (1976), the United States Supreme
9Court held that incarcerated persons have a constitutional right to receive medical treatment;
10and
11 WHEREAS, the state of Louisiana has the highest incarceration rate in the United
12States; and
13 WHEREAS, the Department of Public Safety and Corrections employs physicians
14with histories of sanctions against their medical licenses to practice in state prisons under
15its control; and
16 WHEREAS, studies have indicated that more than half of all physicians working
17full-time in Louisiana state prisons have been disciplined by the Louisiana State Board of
18Medical Examiners for serious offenses; and
19 WHEREAS, by comparison, studies have indicated that the approximate proportion
20of licensed physicians serving the general population in this state who have faced sanctions
21from the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners is only two percent; and
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HCR NO. 91
1 WHEREAS, incarcerated persons commonly have acute medical needs and should
2be provided with the same level of treatment as the general population; and
3 WHEREAS, Voice of the Experienced is a Louisiana membership organization by
4and for persons who are directly impacted by the criminal justice system, including
5incarcerated persons and their family members, persons under community supervision, and
6persons living with the lifetime impacts of criminal convictions; and
7 WHEREAS, the Formerly Incarcerated Transition (FIT) Clinic at the Ruth U. Fertel
8Tulane Community Health Center is the only clinic in the southeast United States that
9furnishes care and services specifically for former inmates; the clinic provides access to
10primary care, insurance, medication, government benefits support, and other services; and
11 WHEREAS, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law is a prominent law
12school in this state with one of the most-highly regarded clinical programs in the country;
13and
14 WHEREAS, the Louisiana State University (LSU) Health Sciences Center at New
15Orleans is a public university focused on the health sciences.
16 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
17urge and request Voice of the Experienced, the FIT Clinic at the Ruth U. Fertel Tulane
18Community Health Center, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, and the LSU
19Health Sciences Center at New Orleans to study the adequacy of health services provided
20to incarcerated persons in facilities operated by the Department of Public Safety and
21Corrections.
22 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, in this study effort, Voice of the Experienced,
23the FIT Clinic at the Ruth U. Fertel Tulane Community Health Center, Loyola University
24New Orleans College of Law, and the LSU Health Sciences Center at New Orleans may
25work with and receive information from various stakeholders in the criminal justice system,
26including but not limited to representatives of the Department of Public Safety and
27Corrections, the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners, and other state agencies and
28institutions as may be appropriate.
29 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Voice of the Experienced, the FIT Clinic at the
30Ruth U. Fertel Tulane Community Health Center, Loyola University New Orleans College
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HCR NO. 91
1of Law, and the LSU Health Sciences Center at New Orleans may also study relevant case
2law and national practices to better understand other approaches for providing adequate
3medical care to inmates in state and federal prisons.
4 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Voice of the Experienced, the FIT Clinic at the
5Ruth U. Fertel Tulane Community Health Center, Loyola University New Orleans College
6of Law, and the LSU Health Sciences Center at New Orleans shall report findings from the
7study called for in this Resolution to the legislature on or before February 1, 2021.
8 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
9executive director of Voice of the Experienced, the director of the Formerly Incarcerated
10Transition Clinic at the Ruth U. Fertel Tulane Community Health Center, the dean of Loyola
11University New Orleans College of Law, the chancellor of the Louisiana State University
12Health Sciences Center at New Orleans, the executive director of the Louisiana State Board
13of Medical Examiners, and the secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 91 Original 2020 Regular Session Landry
Requests Voice of the Experienced, the Formerly Incarcerated Transition Clinic at the Ruth
U. Fertel Tulane Community Health Center, Loyola University New Orleans College of
Law, and the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at New Orleans to study the
adequacy of medical services provided to inmates in facilities operated by the Dept. of
Public Safety and Corrections.
Requests that these parties report findings from the study to the legislature on or before
February 1, 2021.
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