Directed by Richard Dobbs
Written by Barry Schindel
A woman is found beaten to death on a subway platform, and the detectives identify her as Stephanie Donatelli. Briscoe and Green are led to the killer, Brian Gallant; a mentally ill homeless man. He pleads guilty to manslaughter but the victim's ex-husband wants an investigation into why Gallant, who's clearly very dangerous, was out on the streets. The DAs learn that Gallant was released from jail only the day before he killed Donatelli. The prison had recently privatized its medical services and the HMO, Philip Andrews, had introduced a number of measures to save money. As a result, Gallant was denied medication and wasn't referred for proper clinical evaluation. Andrews is charged with manslaughter, and the case is politically contentious because it highlights the conflict between patient care vs medicine as a business.
Andrews emphasizes the need for cost efficiency, and claims that the doctor overseeing Gallant's care did not make anyone aware of the severity of Gallant's condition. The doctor, in turn, testifies that he was told he'd be fired if he made "too many" patient referrals. McCoy produces evidence that Andrews knew Gallant was dangerous, and kept him sedated rather than pay for treatment. When Gallant was released, he wasn't given any medication or anyone to contact, so that the prison wouldn't be held responsible for his relapse. Andrews is convicted of criminally negligent homicide and will be held at Rikers - the same jail he presided over. Lewin is to be interviewed on TV, and is aware that she'll face accusations the verdict has opened up precedent for false malpractice charges. She thinks this is a risk worth taking if it prevents more deaths.
This episode contains examples of:
- Children Are Innocent: McCoy tells Gallant's lawyer that a jury won't allow an insanity defence because the victim left two young children behind.
- Crazy Homeless People: Gallant.
- Halfway Plot Switch: The first half of the episode deals with the investigation into Stephanie Donatelli's murder. The second half switches focus as to why Gallant was denied his medication in jail.
- Obstructive Bureaucrat: Andrews is ostensibly this, although his actual motivations may be rather more sinister.
- Private Profit Prison: Not the whole prison, but its healthcare system - leading to dire consequences after Andrews tries to cut costs by ordering that Gallant not receive necessary treatment.
- Ripped from the Headlines: Based on the case that led to "Kendra's Law", a law in New York State granting judges the authority to order mandatory psychiatric treatment for those meeting certain conditions - designed to prevent exactly the kind of outcome portrayed in this episode.
- Robbing the Dead: The victim's credit card and possessions turn out to have been looted from her corpse.
- The Scrooge: When Briscoe and Green go to collect evidence from a photo shop, the owner refuses to accept the loss of a couple of dollars for the photos and demands the cops pay up.
- Sassy Black Woman: Two suspects fit this trope.
