Contribution to public health from prison health care, Spanish experience on prison harm reduction programs (1998-2017)

While most Americans never see or become ensnared in the nation’s vast correctional system, there are unprecedented costs—economic, social, and ethical—that are being paid, one way or another, by everyone in this country. It is no secret that prison inmates face health threats behind bars that equal anything they face in the streets. Violent assault, rape, or the outbreak of highly infectious diseases are much more common in correctional facilities than in the general population. Prison conditions can easily fan the spread of disease through overcrowding, poor ventilation, and late or inadequate medical care. Effectively protected from public scrutiny, the prison health care system has almost zero accountability, thus escaping outside attention to serious failures of care. If you want to know about the practice of health care in prison settings, ask someone who has been “in” the system. Prisoners have a story to tell and this article gives voice to the experiences of those who have been directly impacted by the provision of health care in the prison system.

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Transitions in “Privatized” Prison Health Systems: Emergency Department Visits and Hospitalizations Among Incarcerated People in Florida, 2011–2018

American Journal of Public Health ◽

10.2105/ajph.2020.305988 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. e1-e4

Author(s):

Jessica L. Adler ◽

Weiwei Chen ◽

Timothy F. Page

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Emergency Department ◽

Hospital Discharge ◽

Emergency Department Visits ◽

Care Utilization ◽

Discharge Data ◽

Prison Health ◽

Discharge Rates ◽

Care Problems

Objectives. To examine rates of emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations among incarcerated people in Florida during a period when health care management in the state’s prisons underwent transitions. Methods. We used Florida ED visit and hospital discharge data (2011–2018) to depict the trend in ED visit and hospital discharge rates among incarcerated people. We proxied incarcerated people using individuals admitted from and discharged or transferred to a court or law enforcement agency. We fitted a regression with year indicators to examine the significance of yearly changes. Results. Among incarcerated people in Florida, ED visit rates quadrupled, and hospitalization rates doubled, between 2015 and 2018, a period when no similar trends were evident in the nonincarcerated population. Public Health Implications. Increasing the amount and flexibility of payments to contractors overseeing prison health services may foster higher rates of hospital utilization among incarcerated people and higher costs, without addressing major quality of care problems. Hospitals and government agencies should transparently report on health care utilization and outcomes among incarcerated people to ensure better oversight of services for a highly vulnerable population. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print March 18, 2021: e1–e4. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2020.305988 )

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Commentary on the harm reduction reference group of justice health and forensic mental health network and corrective services NSW, Australia

International Journal of Prisoner Health ◽

10.1108/ijph-06-2021-0050 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Julia Anne Silano ◽

Carla Treloar ◽

Thomas Wright ◽

Tracey Brown ◽

Colette McGrath ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Harm Reduction ◽

Reference Group ◽

New South ◽

Forensic Mental Health ◽

Content Type ◽

Health Network ◽

South Wales

Purpose This commentary aims to reveal how a steering committee has effectively responded to advancing accessibility to harm reduction resources, hepatitis C virus (HCV) policy and health strategies within adult prison settings in New South Wales (NSW). Design/methodology/approach By reviewing the audit approach taken by the of the Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network and Corrective Services New South Wales Harm Reduction Reference Group (JHFMHN/CSNSW HRRG), this commentary emphasizes the committee’s success in identifying contemporary harm reduction issues that affect people in custodial settings. This commentary is a compilation of data gathered through the 2018 JHFMHN/CSNSW HRRG audit and corresponding program materials. Conclusions regarding the effectiveness of the working group’s audit were drawn by critically appraising the JHFMHN/CSNSW HRRG’s Final Audit Report (JHFMHN and CSNSW, 2018) with reference to current harm reduction literature. Findings The HRRG has provided leadership, professional representation and strategic advice on the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of best practice harm reduction strategies in prison settings. The HRRG developed and maintained networks and information exchange between the state-wide HCV health network, corrections services and the NSW harm reduction sector at large. Public health partnerships and advocacy that involve all key players, such as the HRRG, will continue to be crucial to remove barriers to enhancing HCV harm reduction measures especially in NSW prison settings. Social implications Strategies such as primary prevention and treatment can mitigate the spread of HCV in the custodial system. This audit of access to harm reduction resources was conducted on behalf of the diverse group of professionals, scholars and stakeholders comprising the HRRG. This audit and other advocacy efforts of this committee can facilitate future access to quality healthcare and the necessary policies required to support a healthier prison population at large. Originality/value Collaborating with health authorities, researchers and social service workers can enable prison health-care systems to be guided by wider health workforce programs and public health standards. This collaboration can reduce the professional isolation of custodial health-care staff and promote a balanced approach to harm reduction policies by ensuring an equitable focus on both health and security imperatives.

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Standards for Prison Health Care: US and British Approaches

Women Prisoners and Health Justice ◽

10.1201/9781315383965-9 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 99-108

Author(s):

Nancy Stoller ◽

Alex Gatherer

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Prison Health ◽

Prison Health Care

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Prison Health as Public Health in Ontario Corrections

Journal of Community Safety and Well-Being ◽

10.35502/jcswb.122 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 19

Author(s):

Yoko Murphy ◽

Howard Sapers

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Health Care Services ◽

Care Needs ◽

Term Care ◽

Care Services ◽

Prison Health ◽

Independent Review ◽

Recent Reform ◽

The Government

The majority of incarcerated individuals in Canada, and especially in Ontario provincial correctional institutions, are released into the community after a short duration in custody. Adult correctional populations have generally poor health, including a heightened prevalence of mental health and substance use disorders. There are legal and ethical obligations to address health care needs of incarcerated individuals, and also public health benefits from ensuring adequate, appropriate, and accessible health services to individuals in custody. The Independent Review of Ontario Corrections recommended the transformation of health care in Ontario provincial corrections in 2017, including transferring health service responsibilities to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The Correctional Services and Reintegration Act, 2018, would affirm the provincial government’s obligation to provide patient-centred, equitable health care services for individuals in custody. We encourage the Government of Ontario to proclaim the Act and continue the momentum of recent reform efforts in Ontario.

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