Councilman urges Philly Prisons Commissioner not to sign contract with health care provider

Councilman Jim Kenney yesterday sent a letter to Philadelphia Prisons Commissioner Louis Giorla urging him not to sign a new $42 million contract with the system’s health care services provider until City Council has a chance to investigate whether the contractor has been consistently skirting municipal minority-contracting requirements.

Formerly known as Prison Health Services, Corizon Health, Inc. was this summer fined $1.85 million after Inspector General Amy Kurland found it provided false documents to the city regarding the participation of minority-owned businesses in its contract with the city to provide services at jails.

“While I am deeply disturbed by the selection of this vendor who clearly tried – and succeeded – in benefiting from laws that were established to assist legitimate minority-owned businesses, I am equally troubled by the non-selection of a legitimate minority-owned business to provide prison physical health care services to the City,” Kenney said.

He plans to hold a public hearing examining the city’s choice of Corizon Health, Inc. as a vendor.