Juvenile Correctional System Health Care Costs: A Five-Year Comparison

Abstract

Correctional facilities continue to experience increasing health care demands while resources decrease and costs for services increase. This paper shows changes in health care expenditures over a five-year period, highlighting services vulnerable to fluctuation. Health care costs of a long-term juvenile correctional system housing approximately 525 juveniles were compared between fiscal years 1995 and 2000. Health care expenditure increased 17% over the study period, even with concerted efforts to control spending. This longitudinal comparison suggests that juvenile correctional facilities' health care budgets are highly vulnerable to large fluctuations due to youths' unexpected medical costs.

The High Cost of Health Care Within the Juvenile Justice System

“…The remaining 11% was categorized as variable cost. Surprisingly, prescription drug costs were only 3.3% of the total health care budget; however, this was a 92% increase over a five-year period (1995 to 2000) for this correctional system (Tennyson, 2003). In health care, overall, prescription drug costs continue to increase due to both rising prices and greater usage, making this cost division vulnerable to uncontrollable and unforeseen spikes.…”

Predicting Medication Costs and Usage: Expenditures in a Juvenile Detention Facility

“…A study that used 1997-1998 data to predict pharmaceutical costs in 1998-1999 suggests a 22% increase during that 1 year (Zhao et al, 2005). Using an incarcerated youth population, one researcher finds pharmaceutical costs increased 92% over a 5-year period, between 1995 and 2000 (Tennyson, 2004). In addition, the researcher finds that even one youth with a chronic disease can cause a tremendous increase in the facility's medical budget (Tennyson, 2003).…”