Nashville Jail Scabies Outbreak: CoreCivic Agrees To Pay Some Employees' Costs

NASHVILLE, TN — CoreCivic, the company that runs the Nashville jail that's been suffering through a months-long scabies outbreak, agreed to pay out-of-pocket costs for Metro employees who have been infected, the company's CEO wrote in a letter Thursday, though he also conceded the process could be "complicated" because of a host of pending lawsuits.

"We will establish a process by which we can receive expense documentation from Metro employees; expeditiously evaluate the documentation; and then disburse payments for related out-of-pocket medical expenses," CoreCivic CEO Damon Hininger said in a letter to Nashville Mayor Megan Barry."This process may be complicated both by limitations on our access to individuals’ private health records and the fact that some Metro employees may be represented by counsel in litigation against us, making direct communication from our team members inappropriate."

In an earlier letter sent to the CEO of the contractor, formerly known as Correction Corporation of America, the mayor said the payments would be "an act of good will" as numerous state and local officials are raising questions about Metro's relationship with CoreCivic. (For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Middle Tennessee Patch morning newsletter.)

The scabies outbreak, reported earlier this month but, at least according to one of at least three lawsuits already filed, ongoing since last fall, spread out of the jail and to courthouse employees and attorneys, causing disruptions and, in some cases, trial delays. Scabies is caused by the human itch mite and leads to an itchy rash. The infection is commonly spread in jails, institutions and dormitories.

"In addition to serious problems that inmates have reported experiencing, this outbreak has resulted in a completely unnecessary disruption in the lives of Metro employees and the court system in general," Barry wrote Hininger, according to The Tennessean.

Metro councilmember Kathleen Murphy, who represents the Sylvan Park area, scheduled a meeting about the outbreak Thursday, but CoreCivic declined to attend because of the lawsuits which have been filed.

"Again, present litigation makes participation at this time inappropriate, but we appreciate your interest in the health of facility residents,” Jason D. Medlin, a CoreCivic regional managing director of facility operations, told The Tennessean.

"To not show up at all, it makes me kind of wonder, what are they afraid of? We’re just trying to get some simple answers to what’s going on with the situation," Murphy told the paper.

Image via the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention