Medical & Mental Health in Indiana (IDOC)

Key info

Medical, dental, behavioral-health, addiction-recovery, and maternal-child health care is delivered by a contracted health-services vendor working with IDOC. The most recent contractor is Centurion Health of Indiana, which took over in July 2021. The contract can change, so confirm the current provider with IDOC.

Routine care starts with a health-care request (sick call), which is triaged by health staff.

A co-pay applies to some inmate-initiated (self-referral) health-care visits, while care IDOC initiates is generally not charged. The exact amount is not confirmed — confirm the current co-pay with IDOC or the facility.

IDOC has an offender grievance process for complaints about care. Separately, the Indiana Ombudsman Bureau is an independent body, housed outside IDOC, that reviews complaints that IDOC violated a policy or law or endangered a person’s health or safety.

These procedures apply across every Indiana state prison, including the two operated by GEO Group.

Who provides care

Medical, dental, behavioral-health, addiction-recovery, and maternal-child health care inside IDOC prisons is delivered through a contracted health-services vendor working with the department. The most recent contractor is Centurion Health of Indiana, which took over in July 2021, replacing the previous vendor (Wexford).

These arrangements apply across all Indiana state prisons, including the two facilities operated by GEO Group under contract with IDOC.

Requesting care and the services provided

A person accesses routine care by submitting a health-care request (sick call), which is triaged by health staff. Available services include:

sick call
chronic-care management
behavioral-health and mental-health care
addiction-recovery services
maternal-child health care for incarcerated women

The co-pay

Indiana charges a co-pay for some inmate-initiated (self-referral) health-care visits. Care that IDOC initiates is generally not charged.

The grievance process

IDOC has an offender grievance process for complaints about care. The specific steps, levels of review, and deadlines are set by IDOC policy. Confirm the current procedure with the facility or IDOC.

The Indiana Ombudsman Bureau

Separately from the grievance process, the Indiana Ombudsman Bureau is an independent body created by state law and housed outside IDOC. It reviews complaints that IDOC violated a policy or law or endangered a person’s health or safety.

Emergencies and family contact

A family member cannot authorize or arrange treatment. In a medical emergency, the prison arranges care and, if needed, transport to a community hospital.

For an urgent concern, families typically contact the facility directly. Confirm the facility’s current process for handling such contacts.

Privacy

Medical information is protected. Staff may be limited in what they can share with family without the incarcerated person’s authorization.

Verify Before Acting

Medical, dental, behavioral-health, addiction-recovery, and maternal-child health care in IDOC prisons is delivered through a contracted health-services vendor. Centurion Health of Indiana is the most recent provider (since July 2021), but its contract term ended in mid-2025 and it is not confirmed whether IDOC renewed it or selected a new vendor — confirm the current provider with IDOC. Routine care begins with a health-care request (sick call) triaged by health staff; a co-pay applies to some inmate-initiated visits, while IDOC-initiated care is generally not charged. The exact co-pay amount is not confirmed — confirm it with the facility or IDOC. IDOC runs an offender grievance process for complaints about care, and the independent Indiana Ombudsman Bureau reviews complaints that IDOC violated a policy or law or endangered a person’s health or safety. In an emergency, the prison arranges care and any hospital transport; a family member cannot authorize treatment. These procedures apply at every Indiana state prison, including the two operated by GEO Group. Confirm the current provider, co-pay amount, grievance steps, and facility contact process before relying on them.

Sources

This page is compiled from the following publicly available sources. Policies change without notice — confirm current details with the facility before relying on them.