BATON ROUGE - Governor Jeff Landry signed a policy on Wednesday that would allow people who are incarcerated to be approved for Medicaid while they are in custody, enabling them to have prescription medications in hand when they are released. 

During Wednesday's press conference, Landry was joined by Louisiana Department of Health Secretary Bruce Greenstein and Center for Medicaid Director Dan Brillman. 

Greenstein said the new policy will give inmates a "continuity of care."

"When they're released, the emergency department is not the only source of care. There is continuity between the care that they're getting from the prison, and once they get out, they can get their prescription medications before they leave," Greenstein said. 

Landry said the policy is one step in a long process to reform rehabilitation for people in prisons, jail and juvenile facilities with a hope to stop people from reoffending. 

"We want to be able to out-process them, or transition them, into a normal life, right? We want them to become a productive member of society. We don't like putting people in jail, and we don't want to keep people in jail," Landry said. 

Landry said former inmates will have a doctor, a healthcare file, medicine, and resources to find care when they leave the facility.