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Date: November 25, 2024 Mon
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13 results foundAuthor: Great Britain. Taskforce on the Health Aspects of Violence Against Women and Children Title: Responding to Violence Against Women and Children - The Role of NHS Summary: The violence and abuse experienced by women and children every day in the U.K. is an urgent problem that must be addressed by all, and by our institutions - including the National Health Service. This report describes the key issues identified by women and children themselves, and by National Health Service staff as well as by experts from a wide range of interested bodies, and sets out a number of recommendations to address these issues. To support the work of the taskforce steering group, four sub-groups were set up covering: domestic violence; sexual violence against women; child sexual abuse; and harmful ttraditional practices such a forced marriage, female genital mutilation, honour-based violence and human trafficking. The reports from these sub-groups are included. Details: London: The Taskforce, 2010. 64p.; supplements Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 119183 Keywords: Child AbuseChild MaltreatmentChild Sexual AbuseDomestic ViolenceFamily ViolenceHealth ServicesVictims of Crimes, Services ForViolence Against Women (U.K.) |
Author: Page, Anna Title: Counting the Cost: The Financial Impact of Supporting Women with Multiple Needs in the Criminal Justice System Summary: This report focuses on the financial impact of supporting women with multiple needs in the criminal justice system. Funded by the Corston Independent Funders’ Coalition, the report focuses on findings from our women-specific Financial Analysis Model, and shows that an investment of £18 million per year in women’s centres could save the public purse almost £1 billion over five years. The women-specific Financial Analysis Model is based on the idea that individuals in contact with the criminal justice system go through different distinct stages or situations, which are characterised by different patterns of service use. The model identifies nine different stages typically experienced by women with multiple needs in contact with the criminal justice system. The cost of each stage is calculated by establishing the cost and likelihood of each service contact. Patterns of service use are based on analysis of client data and interviews with service users and staff at three women’s centres: Anawim in Birmingham, Women Outside Walls in Newcastle (a Cyrenians project) and ISIS Women’s Centre, Gloucester (run by the Nelson Trust). Workshops were also held at Alana House, Reading (a PACT project) and Women Ahead at Jagonari, London to test findings. The model considers 14 different types of service contact, including arrest, court, prison, probation, ambulance, methadone prescribing, housing support, benefits and children being taken into local authority care. It shows that the likely total cost of contact with these services is dramatically higher when women are living chaotic lives characterised by substance misuse and crime. The costs to the criminal justice system are particularly high. The model shows that when women do not receive support to address the underlying causes of this chaos and crime, they are likely to continue costly patterns of service use resulting in a quickly escalating bill to the public purse. However, when women successfully move away from these patterns of chaos, crime and repeat prison sentences, the cost to public purse can fall dramatically. The model estimates that an investment of £18 million per year would provide gender-specific support to more than 13,000 women across the country. Without support, these women would be likely to cost public services more than £2 billion over five years. However with investment in women’s services, this cost could be almost halved. Details: London: Revolving Doors Agency, 2011. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 18, 2011 at: http://www.revolving-doors.org.uk/news--blog/news/counting-the-cost/ Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.revolving-doors.org.uk/news--blog/news/counting-the-cost/ Shelf Number: 121752 Keywords: Cost Benefit AnalysisCosts of Criminal JusticeFemale Offenders, Services for (U.K.)Financial SupportHealth ServicesHousing, Ex-Offenders |
Author: Lewis, Cath Title: Health Needs Assessment of Young Offenders in the Youth Justice System on Merseyside Summary: This is a health needs assessment (HNA) of young offenders aged 10-19 on Merseyside. It covers the areas of Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens, Wirral, and, Halton. It includes young offenders in secure children's homes (SCH), secure training centres (STC), and young offender institutions (YOI), as well as those who are being managed in the community by Merseyside Youth Offending Services (YOSs). The National Institute for Clinical excellence (NICE) defines health needs assessment (HNA) as 'a systematic method for reviewing the health issues facing a population, leading to agreed priorities and resource allocation that will improve health and reduce inequalities'. A HNA is a vital part of planning and commissioning health care and other services and support to promote well-being. It builds up a clear baseline of current needs and services, so that decisions can be made about how to reduce any mismatch between what is needed and what is provided. Background information This HNA assessment covers young people up to the age of 19, as some 18 year olds remain in the secure estate for children and young people until the age of 19 if they only have a short period of their sentence still to serve. According to the Youth Justice Board, in November 2012, 1,692 children aged 18 or under were in custody, with 1,551 of these under the age of 18. 96% of the latter were male, and 4% were female, so males are over-represented in this population. Young people from ethnic minority backgrounds are over-represented among children in custody - 58.6% of these young people were white, 20.5% were Black, 8.2% were of Mixed ethnicity, and 7.0% were Asian. Young offenders experience health that is worse than other people of their age, particularly in terms of behavioural and mental health problems. The Bradley Report highlighted the disproportionately high number of people with learning disabilities and mental health problems in the criminal justice system. Of prisoners aged 16-20, around 85% show signs of a personality disorder and 10% show signs of psychotic illness, which is far higher than in the population as a whole. Details: Liverpool: Liverpool Public Health Observatory. 2013. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: Liverpool Public Health Observatory report series number 92: Accessed November 13, 2013 at: http://www.liv.ac.uk/PublicHealth/obs/publications/report/92%20Health%20needs%20assessment%20for%20young%20offenders%20on%20Merseyside.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.liv.ac.uk/PublicHealth/obs/publications/report/92%20Health%20needs%20assessment%20for%20young%20offenders%20on%20Merseyside.pdf Shelf Number: 131659 Keywords: Health ServicesJuvenile Offenders ( U.K.)Mental Health ServicesMentally Ill Offenders |
Author: Maruschak, Laura M. Title: Medical Problems of State and Federal Prisoners and Jail Inmates, 2011-2012 Summary: The report presents the prevalence of medical problems among state and federal prisoners and jail inmates, highlighting differences in rates of chronic conditions and infectious diseases by demographic characteristic. The report describes health care services and treatment received by prisoners and jail inmates with health problems, including doctor's visits, use of prescription medication, and other types of treatment. It also explains reasons why inmates with health problems were not receiving care and describes inmate satisfaction with health services received while incarcerated. Data were from the 2011-12 National Inmate Survey. Highlights: In 2011-12, an estimated 40% of state and federal prisoners and jail inmates reported having a current chronic medical condition while about half reported ever having a chronic medical condition. Twenty-one percent of prisoners and 14% of jail inmates reported ever having tuberculosis, hepatitis B or C, or other STDs (excluding HIV or AIDS). Both prisoners and jail inmates were more likely than the general population to report ever having a chronic condition or infectious disease. The same finding held true for each specific condition or infectious disease. Among prisoners and jail inmates, females were more likely than males to report ever having a chronic condition. High blood pressure was the most common chronic condition reported by prisoners (30%) and jail inmates (26%). About 66% of prisoners and 40% of jail inmates with a chronic condition at the time of interview reported taking prescription medication. More than half of prisoners (56%) and jail inmates (51%) said that they were either very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with the health care services received since admission. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2015. 23p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 9, 2015 at: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/mpsfpji1112.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/mpsfpji1112.pdf Shelf Number: 134585 Keywords: Health CareHealth ServicesMedical CareMentally Ill OffendersPrisoners (U.S.) |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Country Office Pakistan Title: Females Behind Bars: Situation and Needs Assessment in Female Prisons and Barracks Summary: The Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) has listed prisoners among the four most 'at risk and neglected populations' in the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The 2006 report states that "Prisons are sites for illicit drug use, unsafe injecting practices, tattooing with contaminated equipment, violence, rape and unprotected sex. Prisons are often overcrowded, have limited access to healthcare, offer poor nutrition and have high rates of airborne and blood borne diseases. Particularly women make up a very small proportion of the prison population in Pakistan and they are faced with much greater challenges than men in accessing healthcare. UNODC Pakistan, through one of its projects initiated HIV prevention services for female prisoners. The project contains significant importance as is only the project targeting female prisoners in the country. Data was collected in 09 female prisons and barracks across the country, where the project was being implemented. All females who were admitted to a female prison within the study period formed the study population. To be eligible for participation, a woman should be an inmate in one of the targeted prisons, be of 18 years of age or older, irrespective of her drug using status and risk behaviors and was willing to provide an informed consent for participation in the study. A total number of 375 subjects was calculated to be the final sample size for this study. The preliminary data available from the project suggested that a more or less 400 female prisoners existed in the prisons. Owing to the small number of female prisoners reported from these target prisons, no strict inclusion or exclusion criteria were used and all available prisoners who showed a willingness and provided consent to participate, were included in the study. Data collection was preceded by a pre-survey phase, which lasted for a couple of weeks. The supervisory staff in prisons was contacted by the field teams and were explained the objectives of the study to ensure their involvement in the study. This phase focused on answering any concerns of the prison staff and address any of their apprehensions about the study and confidentiality of data. Data collection lasted for a period of 6 weeks. The team members were lead by the project psychologist, who played a key role in data collection. Data were collected on a predesigned format which was developed through a consultative process between the project staff, the UNODC technical team and the research consultant. Data was collected in a secure room (project's counseling room) separate from the prison's main building and provided enough privacy for the interviews to be conducted smoothly without any interference. The questionnaire was of a structured format, developed to gather information on various socio-demographic, prison related information and personal characteristics of the individual herself. After the questionnaire information was collected, the interviewer answered any questions that participants had raised and registered with the project for future follow-up. After editing, all questionnaires were rechecked using a software designed in MS Access for data entry. Analysis was done using the statistical software package, SPSS version 12.0 (statistical package for social sciences). Since prisons have peculiar characteristics regarding exertion of rights, the numerous ethical issues such as voluntary participation, taking informed consent, and measures to ensure and maintain participants' confidentiality were taken into consideration during the entire length of this study. A total number of 359 interviews were conducted for this study, within the time allocated for data collection. The average age of prisoners across all prisons was reported to be 35.2 years - 12.6 (median = 32), with little variability between different prisons. The maximum proportion of prisoners interviewed were illiterate (68%) and more than half of the prisoners interviewed were married with children. Half of the women interviewed shared in the family expenses by providing some sort of financial support. 4% of the women interviewed were non Pakistanis; the maximum numbers of non-Pakistani women interviewed were from Zambia. Of the 359 women prisoners interviewed, an astounding 59% of the women were reported to be under trial. A remaining 31 (8.6%) were detained while the remaining 32.6% (117) were convicted. The maximum proportion of women was imprisoned due to crime such as murders (40%), and drug related offenses. These included using as well as possession of illegal drugs. Another issue of concern is the high number of women who were imprisoned on account of commercial sex work. Upon further inquiry 23.7% of the women stated that they had ever been imprisoned for drug related offenses, while another 15.6% informed that they had been imprisoned for commercial sex work. A fairly large proportion of women had been tobacco smokers before imprisonment and nearly half of them continued smoking even within prisons. In addition a substantial proportion of the overall female prisoner population indicated use of psychotic drugs before being imprisoned, but did not continue their drug using habit, as drugs were not available in prisons. Of the 359 women interviewed, only 22 (6.1%) reported that they had ever injected any form of drug. Further inquiry into drug injecting practices revealed that all these injections took place among the women were imprisoned. Forty five (12.5%) of the total women interviewed stated that they had faced some form of sexual harassment while in prison (not rape). Multiple sex partners were notified, with sex between various prisoners being the most common form of consensual sex seen in prisons. 52% of the women interviewed informed that they had heard of HIV and AIDS. Knowledge of sexual intercourse as a mode of transmission of the disease was prevalent among 27.3% of the women interviewed and 42% knew that HIV can be transmitted by sharp instrument/needles and syringes. 49% knew that HIV can spread through blood transfusion, while knowledge of mother to child transmission was found to be 26%. One fifth reported to have experienced an STI in the past 06 months, while 18% received proper treatment for these infections. An evaluation of the prison environment showed that unlike male prisons, overcrowding is not reported to be an issue in female prisons. The hygiene conditions in all prisons visited were far from ideal. The sanitation facilities available for prisoners varied according to various prisons or barracks. The number of wash rooms ranged from 3 to 4 prisoners per wash room to 60 prisoners per wash room in one of the larger prisons. Only one of the prisons visited had safe drinking water available for the prisoners. All prisons other than two had tap water available for 24 hours, however the water was not purified leading to various water borne diseases. While women prisoners were reported to keep their children with them in prisons, it is also worth mentioning that there were no child care facilities in any of the prison evaluated. Inadequate medical facilities were reported by female prisoners from nearly all prisons. Although doctors are available in all prisons, but the diagnostic and treatment facilities were found to be far from satisfactory. No measures to deal with the mental health issues were reported to be provided by the prison authorities. In all prisons, psychologists were made available through UNODC supported project. The psychological problems reported are depression, stress, mental illness, attention seeking behavior, sleep disorder and generalized anxiety. No recreational facilities are available except television, which was available in only 2 prisons. No indoor games or activities to keep the prisoners involved were seen in any of the prisons visited. Based upon the results of this study, a series of key principles and actions are recommended, to promote principles of public health, improve the mental state of health of the confined, and prevent the spread of HIV and other communicable diseases in prisons. These services should include the provision of basic determinants of health such as adequate nutrition, clean drinking water, sanitation facilities, provision of an adequate gender-sensitive and interdisciplinary mental healthcare and provision of drug dependence treatment options for prisoners with problematic drug use. Comprehensive education and awareness of HIV/AIDS and ways to prevent HIV transmission, with a special reference to the likely risks of transmission within prison environments should be provided to both Prisoners and prison staff. Prison systems should provide easy access to voluntary HIV testing and counseling, which should be easily accessible to all prisoners. While HIV, HCV and HBV testing is continuously done in most prisons under the project supported by UNODC, it is strongly recommended that TB testing should also be initiated in prisons. Some basic child health services including nutrition, immunization, basic health care needs can be provided by the project as part of the holistic support program. Women should be provided access to legal counseling and provision of legal aid if desired, to access lawyers and follow up their cases in courts. Every effort should be made to develop positive partnerships with the higher prison authorities and the prison staff for every initiative undertaken. Details: Islamabad : United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Country Office Pakistan, 2011. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 25, 2015 at: https://www.unodc.org/documents/pakistan//female_behind_bars_complete_final.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Pakistan URL: https://www.unodc.org/documents/pakistan//female_behind_bars_complete_final.pdf Shelf Number: 137338 Keywords: Female InmatesFemale OffendersFemale PrisonersHealth ServicesMedical CarePrisons |
Author: Minnesota Department of Corrections Title: TBI In Minnesota Correctional Facilities: Systems Change for Successful Return to the Community Summary: Each year, in the United States, some 1.7 million Americans seek medical care for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) (Faul, Wald, & Coronado, 2011). Nationally, TBI is a contributing factor in approximately a third of all injury-related deaths and a substantial number of cases of permanent disability (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). While promising advances in medical technology and regional trauma services have led to an increase in the number of survivors of TBI, the stark reality is that these advancements have also led to social and medical challenges associated with a growing pool of people with TBI-related disabilities. The outcomes of TBI can result in a variety of cognitive, emotional, and/or behavioral consequences that not only affect the individual but can also have lasting effects on families and communities. In 2012, there were approximately 1.35 million individuals incarcerated in state prisons, 217,800 in federal prisons and 744,500 in local jails (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2013). Although still limited in scope, emerging literature is supporting the commonly observed phenomenon amongst correctional professionals that there is an elevated prevalence of TBI in correctional populations in comparison to the general public. A meta-analytic review found the prevalence of TBI in the overall offender population to be 60.25% (Shiroma, Ferguson, & Pickelsimer, 2010), while even higher prevalence has been reported in other correctional systems (e.g., 80.2% of adult male offenders MN-DOC, 2008). In addition to understanding prevalence rates of TBI within correctional systems, research is beginning to recognize the influence of an offender's lifetime history of TBI on the delivery of correctional health services and offender management. Recent findings have suggested an association between TBI and increased use of state correctional psychological/medical services, higher rates of prison rule violations and recidivism, and lower chemical dependency treatment completion rates (Piccolino & Solberg, 2014). Prompted by local and national calls for increased health screenings, evaluations, and targeted treatment of offenders (Gibbons & Katzenbach, 2006), the MN-DOC in collaboration with the MN-DHS began developing an infrastructure in which identification, assessment, and services for offenders with TBI are provided. The following looks at this evolving process and discusses the successes and challenges that a state correctional system has experienced to date with support from two federally funded HRSA grants. Details: St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Department of Corrections, 2015. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 22, 2016 at: http://www.doc.state.mn.us/PAGES/files/6714/3456/0599/TBI_White_Paper_MN_DOC-DHS.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.doc.state.mn.us/PAGES/files/6714/3456/0599/TBI_White_Paper_MN_DOC-DHS.pdf Shelf Number: 138366 Keywords: Health ServicesMedical CareTraumatic Brain Injury |
Author: Webster, Kim Title: A preventable burden: Measuring and addressing he prevalence and health impacts of intimate partner violence in Australian women: Key findings and future directions Summary: Intimate partner violence, including violence in both cohabiting and non-cohabiting relationships and emotional abuse: - is prevalent-affecting one in three women since the age of 15. One in four women have experienced violence or abuse from a cohabiting partner. If we only consider physical and sexual violence, then one in six women have experienced at least one incident of violence by a cohabiting partner; - has serious impacts for women's health-contributing to a range of negative health outcomes, including poor mental health, problems during pregnancy and birth, alcohol and illicit drug use, suicide, injuries and homicide; -contributes an estimated 5.1 percent to the disease burden in Australian women aged 18-44 years and 2.2% of the burden in women of all ages; - contributes more to the burden than any other risk factor in women aged 18-44 years, more than well known risk factors like tobacco use, high cholesterol or use of illicit drugs; is estimated to contribute five times more to the burden of disease among Indigenous than non-Indigenous women; - is estimated to make a larger contribution than any other risk factor to the gap in the burden between Indigenous and non-Indigenous women aged 18-44 years; and - has serious consequences for the development and wellbeing of children living with violence. There has been no decrease in the prevalence or health burden of intimate partner violence since both were last measured in Australia. Intimate partner violence and its health impacts are preventable. The health burden of intimate partner violence can be reduced by: - supporting women and children's long-term recovery in the aftermath of violence; - responding to violence to stop it occurring again; - intervening when there are early warning signs of violence; and - preventing violence from occurring in the first place by addressing known root causes. Because experiencing intimate partner violence increases the risk of health problems, to substantially reduce the health burden, it will be necessary to prevent new cases of violence. This will require a greater emphasis on early intervention and primary prevention to stop violence from occurring in the first place. Details: Sydney: ANROWS, 2016. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 10, 2016 at: http://media.aomx.com/anrows.org.au/s3fs-public/28%2010%2016%20BOD%20Compass.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Australia URL: http://media.aomx.com/anrows.org.au/s3fs-public/28%2010%2016%20BOD%20Compass.pdf Shelf Number: 146293 Keywords: Domestic ViolenceHealth ServicesIntimate Partner ViolenceViolence Against Women |
Author: Mallik-Kane, Kamala Title: Using Jail to Enroll Low-Income Men in Medicaid Summary: Many people in jail have serious health needs that can contribute to a cycle of relapse and recidivism, but a recent pilot in Connecticut found that those who left jail with Medicaid coverage availed themselves of outpatient services, prescription medicines, and behavioral health care, often within one month of release. This report details how jail staff worked with Medicaid to implement an enrollment procedure and describes the challenges in conducting enrollment with pretrial detainees given their short stays in jail. Findings suggest that suspending rather than terminating Medicaid coverage when people enter jail, as well as automatically reinstating Medicaid upon release, can increase continuity of care for this high-risk population. Doing so may enhance the health prospects of individuals leaving jail and potentially reduce recidivism, while also minimizing the burden on hospitals of preventable emergency room visits. Details: Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2016. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 30, 2017 at: http://www.urban.org/research/publication/using-jail-enroll-low-income-men-medicaid/view/full_report Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.urban.org/research/publication/using-jail-enroll-low-income-men-medicaid/view/full_report Shelf Number: 144877 Keywords: Health CareHealth ServicesMedicaid |
Author: Little, Cheryl Title: Cries for Help: Medical Care at Krome Service Processing Center and in Florida's County Jails Summary: The Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center had issues a report outlining allegations of unsanitary and unsafe conditions inside the Public Health Service at Krome. The report states that conditions at the medical center have worsened in the past three years as the population of detainees has grown by about 40 percent, from about 400 to 562 detainees. Details: Miami, FL: Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, 1999. 118p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 9, 2017 at: http://www.aijustice.org/cries_for_help Year: 1999 Country: United States URL: http://www.aijustice.org/cries_for_help Shelf Number: 145359 Keywords: Health CareHealth ServicesJail InmatesJails |
Author: Great Britain. National Audit Office Title: Mental health in prisons Summary: Government does not know how many people in prison have a mental illness, how much it is spending on mental health in prisons or whether it is achieving its objectives. It is therefore hard to see how Government can be achieving value for money in its efforts to improve the mental health and well being of prisoners. In 2016 there were 40,161 incidents of self-harm in prisons and 120 self-inflicted deaths. Government does not know how many people in prison have a mental illness, how much it is spending on mental health in prisons or whether it is achieving its objectives. It is therefore hard to see how Government can be achieving value for money in its efforts to improve the mental health and well being of prisoners, according to a report by the National Audit Office. Her Majesty's Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS), NHS England and Public Health England have set ambitious objectives for providing mental health services but do not collect enough or good enough data to understand whether they are meeting them. Rates of self-inflicted deaths and self-harm in prison have risen significantly in the last five years, suggesting that mental health and well-being in prison has declined. Self-harm rose by 73% between 2012 and 2016. In 2016 there were 40,161 incidents of self-harm in prisons, the equivalent of one incident for every two prisoners. While in 2016 there were 120 self-inflicted deaths in prison, almost twice the number in 2012, and the highest year on record. Government needs to address the rising rates of suicide and self harm in prisons as a matter of urgency. In 2016, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman found that 70% of prisoners who had committed suicide between 2012 and 2014 had mental health needs. The Ministry of Justice and its partners have undertaken work to identify interventions to reduce suicide and self-harm in prisons, though these have not yet been implemented. While NHS England uses health needs assessments to understand need these are often based on what was provided in previous years, and do not take account of unmet need. The NAO estimate that the total spend on healthcare in adult prisons, in 2016-17 was around $400 million. HMPPS does not monitor the quality of healthcare it pays for in the six privately-managed prisons it oversees. The prison system is under considerable pressure, making it more difficult to manage prisoners' mental well-being, though government has set out an ambitious reform programme to address this. NOMS' (National Offender Management Service) funding reduced by 13% between 2009-10 and 2016-17, and staff numbers in public prisons reduced by 30% over the same period. When prisons are short-staffed, governors may run restricted regimes where prisoners spend more of the day in their cells, making it more challenging for prisoners to access mental health services. Staffing pressures can make it difficult for prison officers to detect changes in a prisoner's mental health and officers have not received regular training to understand mental health conditions, though the Ministry plans to provide more training in future. In addition, NOMS did not always give NHS England enough notice when it has made changes to the prison estate. For example at Downview Prison NHS England was in the process of commissioning health services for a male prison, when NOMS decide to open it as a female prison instead. When NAO visited six months after it opened, the prison was still in the process of developing a healthcare service that could meet the needs of the female population. The challenges of delivering healthcare are compounded by the ageing prison estate, over a quarter of which was built before 1900 and without modern healthcare in mind. The Ministry has a programme to replace the ageing estate with modern buildings. While clinical care is broadly judged to be good, there are weaknesses in the system for identifying prisoners who need mental health services. Prisoners are screened when they arrive in prison, but this does not always identify mental health problems and staff do not have access to GP records, which means they do not always know if a prisoner has been diagnosed with a mental illness. NHS England is in the process of linking prison health records to GP records to address this. Mentally ill prisoners should wait no more than 14 days to be admitted to a secure hospital, but only 34% of prisoners were transferred within 14 days in 2016-17 while 7% (76) waited for more than 140 days. The process for transferring prisoners is complex and delays can have a negative impact on prisoners' mental health and they may be kept in unsuitable conditions such as segregation units Details: London: NAO, 2017. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed july 29, 2017 at: https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Mental-health-in-prisons.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Mental-health-in-prisons.pdf Shelf Number: 146617 Keywords: Health ServicesMental Health ServicesMentally Ill InmatesMentally Ill OffendersMentally Ill PrisonersPrison Suicide |
Author: Amnesty International Title: Body Politics: Criminalization of sexuality and reproduction Summary: There is a long history of states criminalizing sexuality and reproductive decisions relating to health. Unfortunately, despite increasing attention paid to the protection of human rights in the last few decades, the criminalization fever shows no signs of cooling. In some areas this trend appears to have gained renewed strength. Throughout much of the Americas, for example, women and health professionals can be punished for seeking, obtaining or providing abortion services. In certain states in Africa, opportunistic politicians have pumped life into antiquated statutes or passed new laws punishing same-sex activity with dire penalties. Notably, this rush to criminalization is not limited to developing or least developed states. The last few years has also seen a rise in women in the USA being jailed for otherwise legal acts conducted during pregnancy, and in many rich and poor states alike, individuals can still be prosecuted for transmission of HIV. Criminalization of sexual and reproductive health-related activity, in particular, stands as a significant impediment to the realization of human rights, particularly the right to health. Although such criminalization is justified by some as a "public health" measure, in most cases it exacerbates the underlying public health concern by driving risk behaviour underground and preventing the provision of effective health services; contributing to preventable illness and death. Criminalization of consensual reproductive and sexual behaviours also violates autonomy, which is the foundation on which an individual's ability to realise their right to health is built. In addition to implicating human rights adversely, criminalization of sexuality and reproductive decisions engenders stigmatization, discrimination and even violence against people engaged in (or suspected of engaging in) the prohibited behaviour, which can further place the health of vulnerable people at risk. Indeed, the individuals facing punishment tend to be members of poor, marginalized and vulnerable groups, as opposed to wealthy individuals engaging in the same behaviour. Moreover, such criminalization affects not just those against whom the law is directed, but negatively impacts the rights of entire populations by giving states power to interfere with individuals' private decision-making and forcing people to conform to strict sexual and gender norms. Using the force of state machinery to achieve illegitimate aims relating to the public morality can further lead to an environment generally permissive of arbitrary arrests and detention, harassment, stigmatization, discrimination and violence. Such use of power also weakens respect for the rule of law. Unfortunately, all too often criminalization of sexual and reproductive decisions and behaviours can be a means to gain political support from voters, especially when the targets of such punitive regulation are politically disenfranchised or socially marginalized. It is therefore crucial to highlight the depth and extent of this problem and to empower activists worldwide to challenge laws directly or indirectly criminalizing sexual and reproductive decisions and behaviours. Amnesty International's Primer and Toolkit - Body Politics: Criminalization of sexuality and reproduction - is a timely, meaningful and welcome contribution that can enable activists to both comprehend and challenge illegitimate criminalization of sexuality and reproductive decisions. It is vital to understand the extent to which criminalization has permeated states today and the damage which is done by such measures masquerading as legitimate public health or public morality initiatives. This Primer details the major areas of concern and the harm which both direct and indirect criminalization inflict on an individual's human rights and the health of society as a whole. It is not enough, however, to simply understand the problem of criminalization of sexuality and reproductive decisions; steps must also be taken to challenge it. The Toolkit provides concrete campaigning techniques such as mapping stakeholder participation and power, identifying advocacy targets, and building capacity. The Training Manual can be used to build understanding and capacity around these issues for a range of audiences and activists. Details: London: AI, 2018. 220p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 16, 2018 at: https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/POL4077632018ENGLISH.PDF Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/POL4077632018ENGLISH.PDF Shelf Number: 149485 Keywords: AbortionCriminalizationHealth ServicesHuman Rights AbusesPublic Health |
Author: Acker, Julia Title: Mass Incarceration Threatens Health Equity in America Summary: With approximately 2.2 million U.S. adults and youth behind bars, the United States incarcerates many more persons-both in absolute numbers and as a percentage of the population-than any other nation in the world. Mass incarceration disproportionately impacts lower-income communities, communities of color, and persons with disabilities, creating a barrier to achieving health equity. People who are incarcerated face greater chances for chronic health conditions, both while confined and long after their release. Incarceration exposes people to a wide range of conditions, such as poor sanitation and ventilation and solitary confinement, that are detrimental to long-term physical and mental health. After release, previously incarcerated individuals often face higher mortality rates and experience limited opportunities for gainful employment, stable housing, education, and other conditions needed for good health. Mass incarceration's reach extends far beyond the jail cell, impacting not only those behind bars, but their families, their communities, and the entire nation. Almost 10 million children have experienced having one or both parents incarcerated at some point in their lives - impacting their health and future opportunities. Within communities, mass incarceration disrupts social and family networks and economic development while across the country it consumes large portions of government budgets with negligible impact on crime rates. Produced in partnership with the University of California, San Francisco, this report examines the links between mass incarceration and health equity. Through pairing data with examples of successful approaches, this report shows how mass incarceration negatively impacts everyone's health and well-being and also suggests solutions for reducing both incarceration and crime rates and increasing opportunities for all. Details: Princeton, NJ: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2019. 33p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 21, 2019 at: https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/research/2019/01/mass-incarceration-threatens-health-equity-in-america.html Year: 2019 Country: United States URL: https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/research/2019/01/mass-incarceration-threatens-health-equity-in-america.html Shelf Number: 154679 Keywords: Health InequitiesHealth ServicesInmate HealthMass IncarcerationPrisoner Health |
Author: Dubois, Christophe Title: Organization Models of Health Care Services in Prisons in Four Countries Summary: This chapter aims "to identify and analyse the organization models of health care services in prisons in four selected foreign countries likely to inspire the reform of the health care system in Belgian prisons." The four foreign countries: France, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Scotland have been selected on basis of the following criteria: -- Feasibility (in the allocated period of time): -- The official and grey literature is abundant and accessible; -- The literature is written in language that is accessible to the researchers (English, French, or Dutch); -- The researchers can rely on pre-existing networks; - Relevance: -- The four selected countries offer good practices in organisation of healthcare in prisons (see here-under); -- The selected countries are usually considered as sources of inspiration for Belgian policy makers, especially France and the Netherlands; -- Diversity: -- The preliminary search showed that the selected countries provide different interesting scenarios for Belgium. With respect to the subject matter of the transfer of prison health care to the Ministry of Health, France and Scotland present two different and interesting cases of transfer. France has a comparatively long - since 1994 - history of prison health under the authority of the Ministry of Health. Health care in each prison is provided on the basis of an agreed protocol with the nearest public hospital. Scotland's reform is much more recent (2011) but fully integrated under the rule of the NHS and its regional boards. Due to the organisation of its federated system, Switzerland can be seen as a laboratory of different configurations of reform/conservation of the present organisation of healthcare services in prisons. The Netherlands's choice to maintain the organisation of healthcare under the rule of the Prison Service (Dienst Justitiele Inrichtingen) and to organise a medical service in every prison provides an interesting counterpoint to the other cases.... Details: Brussels: Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre (KCE). 2017. 172p. Source: Internet Resource: KCE REPORT 293 :Accessed February 27, 2018 at: https://kce.fgov.be/sites/default/files/atoms/files/KCE_293_Prisons_health_care_Chapter_4.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Europe URL: https://kce.fgov.be/sites/default/files/atoms/files/KCE_293_Prisons_health_care_Chapter_4.pdf Shelf Number: 154784 Keywords: Correctional HealthHealth CareHealth ServicesInmate HealthPrison Health |