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The health and health care of US prisoners: Results of a nationwide survey

Author

Listed:
  • Wilper, A.P.
  • Woolhandler, S.
  • Boyd, J.W.
  • Lasser, K.E.
  • McCormick, D.
  • Bor, D.H.
  • Himmelstein, D.U.

Abstract

Objectives. We analyzed the prevalence of chronic illnesses, including mental illness, and access to health care among US inmates. Methods. We used the 2002 Survey of Inmates in Local Jails and the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities to analyze disease prevalence and clinical measures of access to health care for inmates. Results. Among inmates in federal prisons, state prisons, and local jails, 38.5% (SE=2.2%), 42.8% (SE=1.1%), and 38.7% (SE=0.7%), respectively, suffered a chronic medical condition. Among inmates with a mental condition ever treated with a psychiatric medication, only 25.5% (SE=7.5%) of federal, 29.6% (SE=2.8%) of state, and 38.5% (SE=1.5%) of local jail inmates were taking a psychiatric medication at the time of arrest, whereas 69.1% (SE=4.8%), 68.6% (SE=1.9%), and 45.5% (SE=1.6%) were on a psychiatric medication after admission. Conclusions. Many inmates with a serious chronic physical illness fail to receive care while incarcerated. Among inmates with mental illness, most were off their treatments at the time of arrest. Improvements are needed both in correctional health care and in community mental health services that might prevent crime and incarceration.

Suggested Citation

  • Wilper, A.P. & Woolhandler, S. & Boyd, J.W. & Lasser, K.E. & McCormick, D. & Bor, D.H. & Himmelstein, D.U., 2009. "The health and health care of US prisoners: Results of a nationwide survey," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 99(4), pages 666-672.
    • Handle: RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2008.144279_1
    DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2008.144279
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    1. Reising, Kim & Ttofi, Maria M. & Farrington, David P. & Piquero, Alex R., 2019. "Depression and anxiety outcomes of offending trajectories: A systematic review of prospective longitudinal studies," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 3-15.
    2. Fahmy, Chantal & Mitchell, Meghan M., 2022. "Examining recidivism during reentry: Proposing a holistic model of health and wellbeing," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    3. English, Devin & Carter, Joseph A. & Bowleg, Lisa & Malebranche, David J. & Talan, Ali J. & Rendina, H. Jonathon, 2020. "Intersectional social control: The roles of incarceration and police discrimination in psychological and HIV-related outcomes for Black sexual minority men," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    4. Erkmen G. Aslim & Murat C. Mungan & Carlos I. Navarro & Han Yu, 2022. "The Effect of Public Health Insurance on Criminal Recidivism," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(1), pages 45-91, January.
    5. Fahmy, Chantal, 2021. "First weeks out: Social support stability and health among formerly incarcerated men," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).
    6. Lowder, Evan Marie & Grommon, Eric & Bailey, Katie & Ray, Bradley, 2024. "Police-mental health co-response versus police-as-usual response to behavioral health emergencies: A pragmatic randomized effectiveness trial," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 345(C).
    7. Aline Désesquelles, 2012. "Self-Rated Health of French prison inmates : measurement and comparison with other health indicators," Working Papers 178, Institut National d'Études Démographiques (INED).
    8. Otsu, Yuki & Yuen, C.Y. Kelvin, 2022. "Health, crime, and the labor market: Theory and policy analysis," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    9. Barbara H. Zaitzow & Anthony K. Willis, 2021. "Behind the Wall of Indifference: Prisoner Voices about the Realities of Prison Health Care," Laws, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-21, February.
    10. Veronica Papa & Domenico Tafuri & Mauro Vaccarezza, 2021. "Could Physical Activity Have any Role in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Prisoners? A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-18, February.
    11. Wilson, James A. & Wood, Peter B., 2014. "Dissecting the relationship between mental illness and return to incarceration," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 42(6), pages 527-537.
    12. Connor M. Sheehan, 2019. "Education and Health Conditions Among the Currently Incarcerated and the Non-incarcerated Populations," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 38(1), pages 73-93, February.
    13. Jonathan Simon, 2016. "The New Gaol," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 664(1), pages 280-301, March.
    14. Houle, Brian, 2011. "Obesity disparities among disadvantaged men: National adult male inmate prevalence pooled with non-incarcerated estimates, United States, 2002-2004," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 72(10), pages 1667-1673, May.
    15. Harrison, Anna J. & Jakubowski, Jessica A. & Abram, Karen M. & Teplin, Linda A. & Welty, Leah J., 2020. "Patterns of incarceration among youth after detention: A 16-year longitudinal study," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    16. David L Rosen & Catherine A Grodensky & Tara K Holley, 2016. "Federally-Assisted Healthcare Coverage among Male State Prisoners with Chronic Health Problems," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(8), pages 1-11, August.
    17. Richard Frank & Thomas G. McGuire, 2010. "Mental Health Treatment and Criminal Justice Outcomes," NBER Working Papers 15858, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    18. Meghan A Novisky & Kathryn M Nowotny & Dylan B Jackson & Alexander Testa & Michael G Vaughn, 2021. "Incarceration as a Fundamental Social Cause of Health Inequalities: Jails, Prisons and Vulnerability to COVID-19 [‘Flattening the Curve for Incarcerated Populations—Covid-19 in Jails and Prisons’]," The British Journal of Criminology, Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, vol. 61(6), pages 1630-1646.
    19. Dayachandra Kumar & Biju Viswanath & Ami Sebestian & Bharath Holla & Reddema Konduru & Chanapatna Rajannachar Chandrashekar & Suresh Bada Math, 2014. "Profile of male forensic psychiatric inpatients in South India," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 60(1), pages 55-62, February.
    20. Karine Moschetti & Véra Zabrodina & Pierre Stadelmann & Tenzin Wangmo & Alberto Holly & Jean-Blaise Wasserfallen & Bernice S Elger & Bruno Gravier, 2017. "Exploring differences in healthcare utilization of prisoners in the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(10), pages 1-15, October.

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