"The prison system and UAB have an agreement for UAB to perform autopsies as an independent contractor. That agreement was filed as an exhibit in the new lawsuits. According to that document, the prison system pays $2,200 per autopsy and $100 per toxicology test.

"According to the lawsuit, UAB Division of Autopsy publications from 2006 to 2015 show that 23% of their yearly income comes from Department of Corrections autopsies"

https://www.al.com/news/2024/04/uab-stealing-dead-alabama-pr....

I’m not sure if $2,200 is a lot or a little but isn’t there some non-zero cost associated with facilitating, transporting, storing and performing the autopsies regardless of whether the examiner is paid or is a student? Eg clerical work, drivers, equipment, use of a vehicle, refrigerators, etc.

That's correct. I guess a benchmark we could use is $60, which is apparently what Planned Parenthood gets paid for the aborted fetuses that it gives away. Each fetus is reimbursable for reasonable costs incurred in the "transportation, implantation, processing, preservation, quality control, or storage of human fetal tissue." https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/planned-parenthood-fact...

That would be a very silly benchmark, as no one has to conduct an autopsy there.

Autopsy pricing isn’t hard to find. https://www.etsu.edu/com/pathology/forensic-center/documents... says $4k; https://www.hamiltoncounty.in.gov/Faq.aspx?QID=302 says $2.5-5k.

They'd be having the autopsies regardless. They're not the issue.

> All people who die in custody have an autopsy, multiple prison officials testified in a federal court hearing earlier this year.

I meant to ask the question, and phrased it poorly.