Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Contraband found 3 times on fired Allegheny County jail psychiatrist
By Aaron Aupperlee
March 26, 2015
Psychiatrist Charolette Hoffman
Hoffman, the jail’s only full-time psychiatrist before losing her job, could not be reached for comment.
Harper, in a statement, said, “All personnel are trained on what is allowed and not allowed into the facility; this includes vendor personnel as well.”
Hoffman was contracted by Corizon Health, the Tennessee-based health care company hired to run medical care at the jail. Harper said violations of the jail’s contraband policy results in “progressive discipline based on the severity of infraction.”
Guards said in written reports that they caught Hoffman with two packs of cigarettes, two lighters and a pair of scissors in her purse on Feb. 25. The report said Hoffman told a guard that “she had them in her bag and did not realize they were in there.” She was required to leave the items at the employee entrance.
On Feb. 27, a guard reported finding a pack of Sandia Menthol 100s in her purse, Hoffman’s second offense, according to a jail incident report. Guards said they found a pack of matches in her coat March 4.
Harper sent an email to jail staff later that day informing them that Hoffman’s “clearance has been pulled.”
Corizon, which took over medical care at the jail in September 2013 under a $12 million-a-year contract, has dedicated a recruiter “who is aggressively searching to fill this vital permanent position,” a company spokesman said. Corizon hired a temporary psychiatrist who works about 80 hours per month and is exploring the use of telepsychiatry, the company said.