BAKERSFIELD, CALIF. — Construction management company Bernards will build new prison healthcare facilities and renovate the existing buildings at two state prisons situated just north of Bakersfield.
The contract through the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation pertains to the North Kern State Prison (NKSP) in Delano and the Wasco State Prison in Wasco. The prisons are about 20 minutes from one another.
Improvements to healthcare facilities at these prisons are part of the state-mandated Health Care Facility Improvement Program. This program was implemented following a 2006 decision by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California to place the state’s prison healthcare system in receivership. The decision came after several inmates were successful at raising lawsuits against the State of California alleging the healthcare provided to prisoners violated their constitutional rights.