Jackson Jambalaya

Hinds County District 1 Supervisor Robert Graham protested the use of a new company that provides medical services to Hinds County inmates at the October 5 of the Board of Supervisors.  Mr. Graham tried to use the "minority participation" tactic to bring Carl Reddix back into the Hinds County detention centers. 





Carl Reddix terminated his contract with the county in 2012.  The county sought bids for inmate medical services and awarded the contract to Quality Choice of New York.  Carl Reddix submitted a bid through his company, Health Assurance.  However, Health Assurance's bid was the most expensive bid out of the five that were submitted to the county.  The following companies submitted bids as well: CorrectHealth, CMA, and Jackson Medical Mall (August 27, 2012 minutes). Unfortunately, Quality Choice tried to stick the county with a change order this year that would cost $70,000 per month and require a waiver of indemnity.  It served a thirty-day notice on the county stating it would terminate its contract if the demands were not met.   The September 15, 2015 minutes state:

County Administrator Davis and Board Counsel discussed the constitutional legal and financial ramifications of the current provider of Detainee Medical Services terminating its contract. The County, as a result of a poorly drafted contract, finds itself needing to transition to a new provider quickly while searching for a long-term solution.
Extending the contract with the current provider, QCCH, even for a short time, is unworkable as QCCH is insisting that the County waive its indemnity clause with respect to pending and future litigation, as well as pay an additional $60,000 to $80,000 per month.

The Supervisors said that was fine with them and hired Quality Correctional Health Care of Birmingham, Alabama at a cost of $2.875 million per year.

QCHC provides inmate medical services to Rankin and Madison counties.  The Sheriffs of those two counties spoke favorable of the company.   Rankin Sheriff Bryan Bailey said the company did a good job of providing services and medications to the inmates while meeting its budget.  Sheriff Bailey said it was the hope that the three counties would be able to lower costs as the counties could order medications while the company could use the same personnel.  He said QCHC's performance had been "great". 

However, Mr. Graham tried to bring Reddix back to the county trough as he tried to hire Reddix at the September 15 meeting of the Board of Supervisors at the same meeting.  The minutes state:

 Supervisor Graham made a motion to approve Reddix Medical (Medical Analysis) as Health Provider for Inmates. The motion died for lack of a second.

This is the same Carl Reddix whose company has been plagued with scandal at MDOC while it enjoyed very nice relationships with Chris Epps and his cronies. The same Reddix who was blasted by Federal Judge Carlton Reeves in its role at the Walnut Grove prison.   The same Reddix whose company's contracts were the subject of the indictment of Harrison County Supervisor Lawrence Martin.  Mr. Martin committed suicide the day he was supposed to be arraigned for the indictment.  It should also be noted that Rankin and Harrison counties terminated their contracts with Reddix companies for poor service several years ago yet here is Robert Graham, trying to bring Reddix back into the Hinds County fold.

Supervisor Graham protested that QCHC had terminated three employees even though it allegedly promised to terminate no one when it took over the contract.  He questioned its minority participation and wanted the company to partner with a Hinds County-based company.  Pigs at a trough.  Mr. Graham was unable to gain any support from the rest of the board and Reddix stayed on the sidelines.