This document discusses healthcare in prisons and presents perspectives both for and against providing healthcare to prisoners. It notes that over 2.5 million people are currently incarcerated in the US and that the incarcerated population is aging and at higher risk for medical problems. Both the 8th Amendment and Supreme Court rulings have established that prisons must provide adequate healthcare to prisoners. However, critics argue that the costs of healthcare in prisons is a drain on limited resources. The document also explores barriers to healthcare in prisons and how untreated medical and mental health issues in prisoners can increase recidivism rates.

1. Healthcare in Prison
By: Rachel Kohlway, Kyla Andre, Liz Mckeon,
Josh Stevens, & Aaliyah Shaheed

2. Table of Contents
1.Introduction of current prison
standards
2.Barriers that occur in providing
healthcare to prisoners
3.Views against health care in prison
4.Views for health care in prison
5.Groups chosen side

3. 237,000 people in state prison, 95,000 in federal prison,
and 5,000 in juvenile facilities (google)
The older the inmate is or gets increases the risk of
medical problems.
“In the USA, prison officials are implicitly obligated by
the 8th amendment of the constitution to provide
adequate medical care to prisoners.”
the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has the ability to give
access to healthcare for those who are in jail.
Current health assessments
Introduction

4. ❖ Correctional Agencies struggle to meet
legal standard of care
❖ Prisoners are not usually paying customers,
making health care providers have less
incentive to give quality care
❖ 70’s-400,000 inmate, currently- 2.5 million
incarcerated
➢steady increase in dollars spent
Barriers

5. ❖ Not able to call 911
❖ No helicopters
❖ Prisons located further from hospitals
❖ Paperwork delays
Barriers Cont.

6. ❏ Rising Healthcare Cost
❏ Resources available to pay for health care of prisoners
are limited
❏ Preserve security can create challenges for health care
in prisons
❏ 47 million Americans who are not in the prison system
are uninsured
Against Healthcare in Prison

7. ➔Receive full dental and physical exams
➔Tested for TB & HIV
➔Given triage priority in ER
Against Cont.

8. ● Most people entering prison are less healthy than the
average population.
● People leaving jail have increased rates of chronic
health conditions and serious mental illness.
● “1 in 70 formerly incarcerated people is hospitalized
for an acute condition within 7 days of release. 1 in 12
by 90 days of release.”(PA Dept. of Health)
● Individuals without access to healthcare and
medications return to jail for violating their parole or
for committing a new crime.
Against Cont.

9. Twice-convicted felon received heart
transplant
After-care costs were close to $1 Million
Case

10. Prison healthcare is a constitutional right nationwide.
“More than 95% of all prisoners are going to eventually
return to the community where good health is
essential for establishing a social support network,
stable housing, and employment.”
Untreated bleeding injuries pose transmission risk
1976- Estelle v. Gamble - Supreme Court ruling that
ignoring prisoner’s medical needs is cruel and unusual
punishment
For Healthcare in Prison

11. “Under-treated physical and mental illness
and substance misuse problems, may lead
to recidivism and generate additional costs
to communities in the form of repeat
incarcerations.”
For Cont.

12. ➢Inadequate health care in prisons can
result in serious problems
➢1989 NYC Tuberculosis outbreak linked
to prisons inadequate treatment plans.
➢Inmates will eventually be released.
➢Potential to spread TB, HIV/AIDS, &
Hepatitis C
For Cont.

13. ➢ The ACA and Healthy Pennsylvania will reduce prison
costs by:
○ Providing access to health care so the person is less
likely to return to prison
○ If individuals are healthier to begin with when they
enter jail, prison health care costs will decrease
○ By treating individuals with mental illness because they
have access, they are less likely to end up committing a
crime
○ If a prisoner has health care insurance before entering
prison, the insurance will cover the health care costs in
prison
For Cont.

14. ❖ Estelle vs. Gamble
➢ Texas inmate subjected to “cruel and unusual
punishment”
➢ Received inadequate treatment for a back injury
acquired from prison work
❖ Timothy Souders
➢ 21 year old prisoner
➢ Died after being kept naked and shackled for 17 hours
➢ Considered an “unauthorized death penalty due to a
callous healthcare system.” - U.S. District Judge Rich
Enslen
Cases

15. ❏Group chose to be for healthcare in
prisons for different personal reasons
Why Healthcare should be in
Prisons

16. ❖ Taylor, M. (2010). Medical care for prison inmates has been improved. Modern Healthcare. Retrieved http://0-
ic.galegroup.com.alvin.iii.com/ic/ovic
❖ Shalit, M., & Lewin, M. (2004). Medical care of prisoners in the USA. Medicine, Crime, and Punishment, 364(12), 34-35. Retrieved
from www.thelancet.com
❖ Prisoner Gets $1M Heart Transplant. (2002, January 31). Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/prisoner-gets-1m-heart-
transplant/
❖ Pennsylvania Health Department. (2013). Retrieved from www.portal.state.pa.us/...pt/.../phlp_background_sheet_for_jails_pdf
❖ Maruschak, L. (2004). Medical problems of prisoners. Retrieved from http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/html/mpp/mpp.cfm
References