LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As healthcare giant YesCare grappled with bankruptcy proceedings, the company managing medical services at Louisville's jail left nurses short of basic supplies, forced staff to buy medications with personal funds, and directed them to keep quiet about critical shortages, according to an investigation by the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting.

YesCare filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May following a $307 million jury verdict in Michigan, leaving Louisville Metro Department of Corrections scrambling to secure a replacement provider for roughly 1,500 inmates. The company, which filed for bankruptcy a second time in three years as the successor to healthcare contractor Corizon Health, had held the jail's medical services contract since March 2024.

WAVE News reporter Meredith Lea's investigation into YesCare's operations revealed working conditions that endangered both inmates and staff. Nurses reported massive shortages of basic supplies including medications such as aspirin, incompatible medical equipment, and inadequate resources to perform their jobs safely. When management directed them to cover gaps themselves, they complied — purchasing necessary items on their own dime while being told to remain silent about the arrangement.

The inadequate medical care took a human toll. Juan Miguel Munoz Penalver, a 21-year-old immigrant, died in the jail in February from dehydration, according to his death certificate. Records indicate he had a history of mental health struggles and was in crisis during his roughly two-week incarceration. His family recently filed a legal claim against YesCare, questioning whether he received proper monitoring and treatment while in custody.

The ACLU of Kentucky has documented 23 in-custody deaths at the jail since 2021, prompting audits, reforms, and changes in jail leadership. Louisville Metro Corrections terminated its contract with YesCare in May, citing contractual violations and concerns about long-term reliability. The jail selected Comprehensive Correctional Care as its replacement provider.

The YesCare collapse illustrates systemic problems in the for-profit correctional healthcare industry. When companies prioritize profit margins over patient care while operating under tight financial constraints, the result is predictable: staff shortages, medical supply gaps, and preventable harm to incarcerated populations. Nurses who spoke with Lea described experiencing paycheck delays as the company spiraled toward bankruptcy, leaving them uncertain whether they could afford to continue coming to work.

ACLU of Kentucky Executive Director Amber Duke said the transition to a new provider must produce measurable improvements in medical and mental health care. "Metro Government must ensure that this change results not simply in a new contract, but in measurable improvements that protect lives," Duke said.