MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – Accusations of fraud and a call for prosecution were vocalized during Thursday’s contract review committee meeting at Alabama’s state house.
YesCare, the former healthcare provider of Alabama prisons, had its $1 billion contract terminated in April. The contract was supposed to end in Sept. 2027.
In April, the ADOC said the termination was because YesCare failed to “adequately fulfil its contractual duties.”
In the months before the contract was severed, there had also been reports that hundreds of employees did not receive paychecks on time.
The Alabama Department of Corrections asked lawmakers to approve a $200,000 contract with a law firm to recoup funds from YesCare; they are currently going through bankruptcy.
“The lack of accountability creates outrageous scenarios like the one you’re seeing play out right now,” said Rep. Chris England (D-Tuscaloosa).
Mary-Coleman Roberts, general counsel for the Alabama Department of Corrections, told lawmakers Thursday that YesCare asked the state for an advancement to help pay employees on two paychecks, for April 24 and May 8. However, she said employees only received the April 24 paycheck.
Roberts said when she asked YesCare where the money went, she was told it went to “other things.”
“How does a company go into an office and basically fool an entire state agency and steal money in broad daylight without a mask and a gun?” asked Rep. Chris England in an interview Friday. “I think this whole situation points out that significant oversight and reform need to occur.”
Rep. England also expressed concerns about the ADOC selecting the Butler Snow Law firm. Snow has represented the state in past corrections cases, but sparked controversy when a judge discovered an attorney with the firm using artificial intelligence (AI) to write legal briefs for the state.
He also took issue with a prior legal contract going to a private practice attorney who defended the ADOC in a lawsuit over inmate medical care after getting on YesCare’s advisory board.
“It’s like we would much rather pay attorneys millions of dollars than use that same money to fix the problems that they’re allegedly defending us in court on,” he said.
Birmingham-based provider NaphCare is now in charge of prison healthcare in Alabama.
Requests for comment have been left with YesCare and the attorney general’s office.
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