By linking individuals in prison and jail to service providers in the community without incurring the high costs and complications of transportation and supervision outside the walls of a correctional facility, telemedicine can be a valuable tool for delivering improved health care to those individuals and preparing them for release to the community. Videoconferencing technology enables a community-based specialist to consult with a person who is incarcerated and his or her institutional health care providers and allows the specialist to actually see the patient through a television or computer monitor.

Telemedicine is, however, expensive: the initial investment in a telemedicine system ranges from $50,000 to $75,000, depending on the type of equipment and installation; and substantial hourly fees are incurred each time the system is used. ^[1]   Nonetheless, these costs may compare favorably with the alternative of transporting prisoners offsite to receive specialized care or, in some cases, of providing a time staff of physicians. Several state departments of corrections are developing telemedicine capabilities with an eye towards saving money. Indeed, a report by the National Institute of Justice found that the initial equipment investment for telemedicine might be recovered in about 15 months, with a monthly savings of $14,200 thereafter. ^[2]  

Example: Telemedicine Program, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction uses telemedicine to link individuals in state institutions with providers at the Ohio State University Medical Center. Reports indicate that Ohio saves between $200 and $1,000 for each use of telemedicine. ^[3]