Health is a crucial component for individuals to lead a fulfilled life. One place where health is frequently neglected, is within the prison system. Prisons commonly face increasingly common health conditions that impact the health and rehabilitation of inmates. This article explores the impact of health conditions in prisons on inmate health and rehabilitation, highlighting key factors contributing to this phenomenon.
The Correctional Association of New York highlights that the prison experience is not conducive to good health with poor living conditions, limited outdoor activities, and a lack of quality medical care playing out as primary culprits. Overcrowding and inadequate sanitation, as well as exposure to infectious diseases, including COVID-19, present serious health risks to inmates. Neglecting health screening as well as a failure to implement basic harm reduction techniques has resulted in ailments, including Tuberculosis, Hepatitis C, and HIV, to becoming prevalent within prisons.
Substance abuse also presents significant health challenges within prisons. Incarceration provides an opportunity for drug detoxification and addiction treatment, however, the lacking resources required in achieving this goal hugely impacts the progress that can be made. Most facilities lack specialized addiction treatment programs, and inmates frequently experience difficulty accessing resources. A study conducted by IntechOpen revealed that inmates who suffer from substance abuse are more likely to be extremely violent in prison and have a greater likelihood of being victim to violence.
In recent times, the challenge presented by COVID-19 has shown the effect of infectious disease when good health is not prioritized in prisons. According to the World Health Organization, disability and death rates among inmates tend to be higher than amongst the general population. As revealed in the European Journal of Epidemiology, overpopulated living conditions makes efforts to maintain appropriate social distancing impossible, exposing inmates and staff to increased risk of the spread of infectious diseases.
In conclusion, the impact of health conditions in prisons on inmate health and their rehabilitation is significant, and the addressing of these issues requires a critical and collective effort. Better nutrition, greater access to quality healthcare services, and increased awareness around substance abuse harm reduction must be prioritized to halt the negative impact on inmate health and rehabilitation. A collective effort is necessary in ensuring that prisoners’ health is also prioritized given its impact on the larger community.
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