Jail Inmates Get Free Health Care
LAS CRUCES — Free medical care isnow available to inmates at the Dona Ana County Detention Facility.
The health benefit is now available due to a partnership between the jail and the new mexico department of health.
A full medical team visits the facility each day and if an inmate needs medical assistance, he gets it almost immediately.
New mexico health officials have reported a high incidence of communicable sickness and disease at the lockup, largely due to the inmates being within close quarters of each other.
Authorities say the program will help to both treat the sickness as well as teach the inmates how to take care of themselves once they are released.
The new benefit has also gone a long way to save money for the county, said Chris Barela, the detention center’s director. “Now we don’t need, to transport them out now. And now we may not have to wait a day or week or few weeks to get them to see somebody on the outside. We have the ability to make it happen here,” Barela said.
