Inmate Health Care and Recidivism Joint Task Force
Remarks by President Trump at the National Association of Counties Legislative Conference
TRANSCRIPT:
My administration is also reshaping our nation’s approach to mental illness. My budget calls for almost $5 billion to improve access to inpatient mental healthcare through Medicaid. (Applause.)
And as you know, county jails were not meant to deal with the mental illness problem. (Applause.) They weren’t. They weren’t. Thank you. Thank you. I didn’t know that that was going to hit such a high note. Really. I mean, that’s incredible. I didn’t know that that was going to be appreciated the way it’s meant to be.
But you understand the situation. You understand — the people in this room understand all of the things we’re talking about, better than any people I can imagine, even people in Washington. They don’t — (applause) — you know, you’re on the ground. So when you make a statement like that, that’s very meaningful to me when you — when you give it that kind of a response. I wouldn’t have thought it would have had that response.
It’s also not compassionate to leave those with mental illness on the streets, and you see that. (Applause.) So we must get Americans the care that they need.
The task force, made up of National Association of Counties and National Sheriffs' Association members representing county leaders, law enforcement, judges, prosecutors, public defenders, behavioral health and veterans’ services, will explore the impacts of the national mental and behavioral health crisis and the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy (MIEP), which strips federal health and veterans’ benefits from individuals upon admission to jail – not upon conviction – leading to increased recidivism.
“This task force will work tirelessly to remove the roadblocks people face in getting the care they need. These experienced people will fix this problem and help the thousands of mentally ill citizens trapped in Americas’ jail without the proper care.”
Jonathan Thompson, Executive Director/CEO, National Sheriffs' Association
Reducing Recidivism through Access to Health Care
LEGISLATION
MEDICAID REENTRY ACT
Sponsored by Reps. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) and Michael Turner (R-Ohio), this bipartisan legislation would restore Medicaid benefits to inmates for the 30-day period prior to their release from a public institution, such as a jail.
RESTORING THE PARTNERSHIP FOR COUNTY HEALTH CARE COSTS ACT
Sponsored by Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.), this legislation would remove limitations on Medicaid, Medicare, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) benefits for pre-trial inmates of jails, detention centers and prisons.
RESOURCES
POLICY BRIEF
- NACo & NSA One-Pager: Reinstate Federal Health Care Benefits for Non-Convicted Justice-Involved Individuals
- Federal Policy Impacts on County Jail Inmate Healthcare & Recidicvism: How Flawed Federal Policy is Driving Higher Recidivism Rates
ARTICLES & NEWS
- The Washington Post: "It’s time to end the callous policy of inmate Medicaid exclusion"
- County officials tackle fixing loss of federal health benefits in jail
- The Cap Times: "National task force working to reduce jail recidivism looks to Dane County as example"
VIDEOS
- NACo-NSA Health Care and Jails Joint Task Force Town Hall
- NACo 2nd VP Judge Moore at announces joint NACo-NSA task force at #Sheriffs2019
- Joint Task Force to Study Inmate Health Care and Recidivism
