California Prison Doctors Get Millions While Not Working

LOS ANGELES (AP) — State records show that California prison doctors suspected of malpractice received millions of dollars in pay for doing no work or menial chores.

The Los Angeles Times says at least 30 physicians and mental health professionals collected an estimated $8.7 million since 2006 while they went through a lengthy appeals process to determine whether they should be fired.

The Times says the doctors who were alleged to have committed negligence or misconduct — in some cases involving patient deaths — received their full six-figure salaries even though they were not allowed to treat prisoners. Some did menial work such as sorting mail. The paper says civil service rules have made it harder to fire doctors.

The prison health system has been in court-ordered receivership since 2005. Spokeswoman Nancy Kincaid says the system was badly broken.