Corizon
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Prison healthcare services |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Headquarters | Brentwood , United States |
Area served | 15 U.S. states |
| Products | Healthcare and pharmaceutical services for correctional institutions |
Number of employees | (not specified) |
| Parent | (not specified) |
Corizon Health, Inc. (also known under the names YesCare and Tehum) is a privately owned company specializing in prison healthcare services, headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee. The firm delivers healthcare and pharmaceutical services through its PharmaCorr division to approximately 28 clients spanning 15 states within the United States. Its service network includes 139 state correctional institutions, local jails, and additional facilities. Corizon provides care to over 115,000 incarcerated individuals, offering a range of services such as dental care, mental health treatment, optometry, substance abuse programs, and general medical services. In 2015, the company reported revenues reaching $1.5 billion.
Merger
In 2011, CMS underwent a rebranding to become Corizon Health following its merger with PHS Correctional Healthcare (formerly Prison Health Services), which was its principal competitor at the time. The headquarters located in Brentwood, previously belonging to PHS, was designated as Corizon’s central office. Prior to 2020, hedge fund BlueMountain Capital Management held majority ownership of Corizon. That year, private equity firm Flacks Group acquired the company, a transaction that helped reduce Corizon’s outstanding debt and included ownership of PharmaCorr—its exclusive in-house pharmacy division unique within the corrections healthcare sector.
Controversies
From 2011 through 2016, Corizon was subject to 660 malpractice claims. Continuing patterns seen with its antecedents CMS and PHS, Corizon has faced criticism from government officials and advocacy groups for emphasizing profitable government contracts at the expense of delivering adequate healthcare to inmates—a population with significant physical and mental health challenges. Investigative journalism—including a notable 2005 report by The New York Times—documented extensive complaints about PHS from officials, medical professionals, and staff members. Civil liberties organizations such as the ACLU contend that Corizon prioritizes financial gain over inmate well-being. David Fathi of the ACLU National Prison Project pointed out the dangers inherent in outsourcing prison healthcare to for-profit entities, highlighting substandard outcomes tied to profit-driven motives and insufficient regulatory oversight.
In Maine, CMS secured a contract in 2003 but lost it in 2012 after a legislative investigation uncovered serious shortcomings in medication management, record maintenance, delays in treatment, and inadequate staff training. Likewise, CMS contracted with the Mississippi Department of Corrections beginning in 2003; this included a $95 million agreement awarded in 2006 to Wexford Health Sources for providing healthcare to more than 14,000 state inmates. Nonetheless, corruption scandals emerged involving contractors bribing MDOC officials, resulting in criminal charges and prison sentences.
Currently responsible for healthcare services within Arizona’s prison system, Corizon has been criticized by former employees and the ACLU for insufficient staffing levels and neglectful care. Whistleblowers have reported instances where mentally ill prisoners experienced neglect that sometimes led to fatalities. Dan Pochoda, legal director at the ACLU of Arizona, described the state’s prison healthcare as the most deficient he had witnessed over four decades of work. Former staff member George Mallinckrodt claims retaliation following his reporting of inmate mistreatment; Corizon denies these allegations.
At Washington County Jail in Oregon, Corizon was implicated in the death of inmate Madaline Pitkin during heroin withdrawal due to inadequate care and staffing lapses. An audit revealed that required registered nurse coverage was absent approximately 20% of the time under Corizon’s management. Consequently, the county terminated its contract with Corizon in 2016 and engaged competitor NaphCare.
In New Mexico, Corizon lost its statewide contract in 2016 after settling lawsuits exceeding $4.5 million related mainly to allegations against a physician accused of sexually abusing inmates as well as other inmate deaths.
In Missouri, a former nurse employed at Jefferson City Correctional Center faced indictment in 2021 on charges involving sexual misconduct with an inmate and unrelated criminal offenses; these actions were not connected directly to Corizon’s corporate operations.
In December 2022, a jury awarded $6.4 million to the family of Wade Jones, an inmate who died from complications related to alcohol withdrawal while under Corizon’s supervision at Kent County Correctional Facility. The suit claimed deliberate indifference by staff members.
In 2023, Corizon underwent a corporate split forming two separate entities: Corizon and CHS TX. Sara Tirschwell assumed CEO leadership of CHS TX which retained the majority of employees, contracts, and assets. The newly formed Corizon entity filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on February 17, 2023. YesCare—also led by Tirschwell—acquired CHS TX shortly thereafter. The Wall Street Journal highlighted this restructuring as an example of strategically using bankruptcy proceedings to mitigate legal liabilities.
See also
External links
- Agreement between Maine Department of Corrections and CMS
- Profile on the Medical Company Earning $1.4 Billion Annually from Incarcerated Patients. The Nation, October 8, 2013.
- Report: Decline in Prison Health Services in Arizona Under Corizon's Management. American Friends Service Committee, November 2013.
- Fines Imposed on Rikers Health Contractor for Employee Assaults. The New York Times, August 7, 2014.
- Limited Oversight of Corizon Health Following Inmate Lawsuits and Alerts. The Santa Fe New Mexican. April 17, 2016