After a 40-year run as the Monterey County Jail’s health care provider, Wellpath’s tenure is coming to an end. The search for its successor has been a focus of County officials in recent months, but the real test – whether the next contractor can right a system long criticized for inadequate medical care – is yet to be determined.
On Tuesday, Nov. 18, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a five-year and five-month $139 million contract with Correctional Healthcare Partners (CHP), a San Diego-based company founded in 2020. It was the top contender among seven health care providers that submitted bids. It will begin implementing services in the Salinas jail on Jan. 1, 2026.
“This is the most significant change in the county jail in my nine years as a county supervisor,” Supervisor Luis Alejo said. “This is a very unique area of health care when it comes to inmates: [providing] medical, dental, pharmaceutical, mental health, psychiatric care services. There’s not a lot of companies running forward to do this kind of work. And it is expensive.”
In a tight budget year, which has led to shrinking several departments’ budgets and operations, the looming question is how to pay for it. The new contract with CHP will require $4.2 million in augmentation funds in fiscal year 2025-26, in order to cover a staffing increase from 54 to 90 full-time employees.
Supervisor Wendy Root Askew underscored the need to identify ongoing additional funding to cover expenses, and suggested returning to the board to discuss the possibility of hiring an inspector general to oversee the contract implementation and ensure transparency in how county dollars are used.
“We’re looking at a significant additional cost,” Askew said. “I think the cost of an inspector general would be relatively small, but it could help make sure we get this right.”
Beyond providing care, both the county and the health care provider are required to continue demonstrating improvements in compliance with a legal agreement known as the Hernandez Settlement, which requires operations to meet certain legal obligations or face increasingly higher penalties based on a class action suit filed in 2013 by prisoners. The previous provider was found in civil contempt just last year for failing to provide adequate care under such monitoring agreements.
“The [staffing] count isn’t an increase that is random,” CHP CEO Dr. Peter Freedland said. He added that the company’s experience working with San Diego’s incarcerated jail population – which is seven times the size of Monterey County’s – provided a model for where staffing is most needed. Freedland told the supervisors that reducing suicide rates has been a top priority for CHP, noting they reduced morbidity and mortality by over 50 percent at their San Diego facility in the first year.
“We’re not looking to be a large company,” Freedland said. “We don’t have a business model that seeks tremendous growth. We chose Monterey because we’ve had opportunities to see your facilities over the last couple years. We want to work with places that want a partnership.”
After the vote, County Supervisor Chris Lopez said, “I am not expecting perfection, but I am expecting improvement.”