People in prison do not have a choice regarding their medical care or if “cost-sharing” applies to them, unlike non-incarcerated individuals.

If counsel has any concerns, getting a mental health evaluation before the PSI is strongly recommended. If counsel cannot identify a local mental healthcare specialist, asking the prosecutor for their recommendation can be a great idea. Just ask me why.

Before making any initial designation decision, The Designation and Sentencing Computation Center staff assess each inmate’s provisional CARE LEVEL from I to IV.

BOP institutions also have a Mental Healthcare (MH) CARE LEVEL assignment, reflecting the mental healthcare resources available.

  • The Designation and Sentencing Computation Center (DSCC) designates those inmates with Medical and Mental Healthcare CARE LEVEL I-II.
  • The Office of Medical Determinations and Transportation (OMDT) will make the designation decision for inmates with Mental Healthcare, CARE LEVELS III-IV.

Unfortunately, the BOP is not equipped to provide any meaningful treatment for the following underlying disorders (to mention a few) – for example:

  • Post-traumatic stress
  • Major depressive
  • Bipolar

As medical staffing varies from one facility to another, and whether care is available within the BOP, this may necessitate a transfer to a facility farther from their home.