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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
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Results for prisoner health
10 results foundAuthor: New Hampshire State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Title: Unequal Treatment: Women Incarcerated in New Hampshire's State Prison System Summary: The New Hampshire Advisory Committee (Advisory Committee) submits this report, "Unequal Treatment: Women Incarcerated in New Hampshire's State Prison System" as part of its responsibility to advise the Commission on civil rights issues in the state. The Advisory Committee concludes that New Hampshire's Department of Corrections faces a nearly insurmountable challenge in meeting many of the important needs of its female inmate population. The failure of the state to provide comparable services in these respects seriously affects the ability of women offenders to maintain appropriate family relationships, impairs their mental and physical health, and inhibits their ability to prepare for productive and self-supporting work upon their eventual release from incarceration. The exceptionally high recidivism rate for female offenders in New Hampshire among the only states in the country with a recidivism rate for women that exceeds the comparable rate for men is a powerful testament to the high cost that the state pays for its failure to address unequal conditions of confinement faced by female offenders. Details: Washington DC: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 2011. Source: Internet Resource: Briefing Report: Accessed on December 8, 2011 at: http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/Unequal_Treatment_WomenIncarceratedinNHStatePrisonSystem.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/Unequal_Treatment_WomenIncarceratedinNHStatePrisonSystem.pdf Shelf Number: 123506 Keywords: Correctional ProgramsCorrectionsPrisoner HealthWomen Prisoners (New Hampshire) |
Author: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction Title: Prisons and Drugs in Europe: The Problem and Responses Summary: This Selected issue starts off by reviewing the available data on drug use among prison populations in Europe, focusing on injecting drug use and other health risk behaviours. Major health risks for drug-using prisoners, including blood-borne infections and infections that can affect all prisoners equally, such as tuberculosis, are discussed. Also mentioned is the role of prison environments, where overcrowding and unsanitary conditions are not uncommon, and the higher-than-average occurrence of psychiatric problems among prisoners. The first section concludes by describing the increased risk of death among prisoners, both in custody and after release. The second part of the report focuses on responses to the health needs of drug-using prisoners in European countries. The study looks at how the internationally recognised rights of prisoners and the European and international rules that set standards for the care of prisoners apply to those with drug problems. The administration of prison healthcare in European countries is examined, and national policies are reviewed. This is followed by an overview of the available information on drug-related service provision in Europe, from prison entry to prison release, addressing counselling, treatment of drug dependence and the prevention of infectious diseases and drug overdose. Details: Lisdon: EMCDDA, 2012. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 10, 2012 at: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_191812_EN_TDSI12002ENC.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Europe URL: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_191812_EN_TDSI12002ENC.pdf Shelf Number: 127181 Keywords: Drug Abuse and CrimeDrug Offenders (Europe)Prisoner DeathsPrisoner HealthPrisoners |
Author: Butler, Tony Title: Sexual Health and Behaviour of Queensland Prisoners with Queensland and New South Wales Comparisons Summary: This report presents the findings from the Queensland component of a National Health and Medical Research Council funded study of New South Wales and Queensland prisoners’ sexual health and behaviours. Comparisons of the Queensland and New South Wales components of this survey can be found in Appendix 1. Overall, 900 men and 134 women in Queensland prisons were surveyed in 2007–08 by computer-assisted telephone interview after random selection. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that an epidemiological survey of prisoners has been conducted via telephone. Most found the telephone approach acceptable, would do the survey again, and reported that they provided honest answers. The response rate among eligible prisoners was high at over 75%. The respondents About half the prisoners in the survey were aged 30 years or younger; men were aged from 18 to 78 years and women from 18 to 61 years. This is similar to the age of the general Queensland prisoner population. A quarter identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. Education levels were low and few (14% men and 18% women) had post-school qualifications; 30% of men and 16% of women had not completed Year 10 or equivalent. The most common ‘most serious offences’ were for men assault (33%), property offences (17%) and sexual offences (15%), and for women assault (25%), property offences (19%) and homicide (19%). For 39% of men and 55% of women this was their first time in an adult prison. Over half of the men (56%) and 65% of women had been in prison (this time) for less than a year, but 17% of men and 5% of women had been in prison for more than 10 years. Sexuality and relationships ■ Most men (95%) self-identified as heterosexual and were attracted exclusively or mostly to women (96%) whereas 63% of women identified as heterosexual and 75% were attracted exclusively or mostly to men. Almost 3 in 10 women (28%) identified as bisexual. ■ Half the men in the sample had had inter-course for the first time before they turned 15 (16 for women). This is younger than in the general community (18 for men and 19 for women). ■ The median lifetime number of opposite-sex sexual partners (for any form of sex, not just intercourse) was 23 for men and 10 for women with over 1000 partners reported for some men and women. One quarter of men (25%) and 12% of women reported over 50 lifetime opposite-sex sexual partners. ■ Around three-quarters of men and women were in regular relationships before coming into prison with around a third of those in a relationship reporting that imprisonment had resulted in the relationship ending. ■ One third of men had ever paid for sex; 10% of men and 21% of women had been paid for sex. Reproductive experiences ■ Most women in the sample (84%) had been pregnant. The median age of first pregnancy was 18 years, and the women had had an average of 2.3 children. ■ Around one quarter of women reported having difficulty getting pregnant, which is high for a population whose average age is around 30 years. Sexual forcing ■ Three-fifths of women prisoners (compared with 21% in an Australian community survey) had been forced or frightened into some sort of sexual activity at some time in their lives. The median number of episodes of forced sexual activity was 2, with some women reporting up to 500 events. This highlights the exposure of women in this population to high levels of violence and trauma. Sexual attitudes ■ Prisoners’ attitudes to statements on a range of sexual matters (e.g. explicit films, sex before marriage, abortion) were remarkably consistent with those expressed by the general community. However, male prisoners were more intolerant of male-to-male sex than men in the general community. Knowledge of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) ■ Prisoners’ knowledge of STIs and their consequences was good, and for some of the questions it was better than the general community. Prison sex and physical assault ■ Nine per cent of men and 27% of women had engaged in some form of sexual contact (including kissing or touching) with another (same-sex) prisoner. Most reported that this sexual contact was for pleasure and not for protection or as a trade for drugs. ■ While women were more likely to report engaging in sexual contact with another prisoner, men reported higher levels of self-masturbation in the past four weeks (median number of times masturbated for men 6, and for women 3). ■ There was a high level of support among men (88%) and women (74%) in favour of allowing overnight family/partner visits in prison. ■ One third of men and one fifth of women had been physically assaulted or attacked whilst in prison. ■ More than a third of men (37%) and 26% of women had worried about being sexually assaulted before coming into prison, but fewer (7%) were currently worried about this. ■ 8% of men and 6% of women had been threatened with sexual assault in prison, while 3% of men and 4% of women reported being actually forced to do something sexual they did not want. Queensland and New South Wales comparisons ■ Overall, Queensland and New South Wales prisoners were remarkably similar with regard to sexual health behaviours, sexual identity, past exposure to sexually transmissible infections (STIs), knowledge of STIs, and attitudes to sexual issues. ■ The level of sexual activity between inmates was not lower in Queensland prisons than in New South Wales prisons, where the policy of the NSW Department of Corrective Services is to provide condoms and dental dams to prisoners. Details: Perth and Sydney: National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, and School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales., 2010. 87p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 6, 2013 at: http://ndri.curtin.edu.au/local/docs/pdf/publications/R236.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Australia URL: http://ndri.curtin.edu.au/local/docs/pdf/publications/R236.pdf Shelf Number: 129263 Keywords: Inmate Sexual BehaviorInmate Sexual HealthInmatesPrisoner HealthPrisoners (Australia) |
Author: Weightman, John Title: ‘Slopping out?’ A report on the lack of in-cell sanitation in Her Majesty’s Prisons in England and Wales Summary: The age-old practice of ‘slopping out’ - referred to at the time by penal reform groups as the ‘single most degrading element of imprisonment this century’ 2 - was officially brought to an end on Friday April 12 1996. On that day, the last plastic pot was ceremoniously discarded at Armley Prison in Leeds, West Yorkshire. Flushing lavatories were then, apparently, installed for all. This heralded the end of queues of men and women to empty their pots of waste in the sluice rooms. There would be no more stench and no packages of excrement lobbed out of windows: an attempt to make the atmosphere within the cell bearable to the detriment of that in the grounds. However, this report found the following: • In-cell Sanitation does not exist in some 2000 prison cells across 10 prisons • An electronic unlocking system exists in these prisons but excessive queuing and limited access time cause further unplanned problems. • The use of buckets continues at night-time causing the practice of slopping out to continue, despite the formal termination of this system some 14 years ago. • There are particularly serious concerns where elderly and disabled prisoners are placed in these cells. • There is evidence that some prisons cope with the management of this issue better than others. • In many instances, the night sanitation system is unreliable and frequent breakdowns are reported. Details: London: Independent Monitoring Boards, 2010. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 24, 2013 at: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/prison-probation-inspection-monitoring/In-Cell_Sanitation_Report_V2_Aug_10.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/prison-probation-inspection-monitoring/In-Cell_Sanitation_Report_V2_Aug_10.pdf Shelf Number: 129506 Keywords: Prison SanitationPrisoner HealthPrisoners (U.K.)Prisons |
Author: University of Texas School of Law. Human Rights Clinic Title: Deadly Heat in Texas Prisons Summary: The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is currently violating the human and constitutional rights of inmates in Texas by exposing them to dangerously high temperatures and extreme heat conditions. Extreme heat in TDCJ-run correctional facilities has long caused heat-related injuries and deaths of inmates during the hot Texas summers. Since 2007, at least fourteen inmates incarcerated in various TDCJ facilities across the state of Texas have died from extreme heat exposure while imprisoned. Many of these inmates had preexisting health conditions or were taking medications that rendered them heat-sensitive, yet properly cooled living areas were not provided to them by the TDCJ. These fourteen victims, along with other TDCJ prisoners and even TDCJ personnel, were and continue to be exposed to dangerously high heat levels on a regular basis. This practice violates individuals' human rights, particularly the rights to health, life, physical integrity, and dignity. In spite of repeated, serious, and egregious incidents, the TDCJ has yet to implement measures that effectively mitigate heat-related injury in inmate housing. While the TDCJ has installed fans and allowed for ventilation in inmate living areas, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has proven these measures to be ineffective in preventing heat-related injuries in very hot and humid conditions, such as those present in TDCJ facilities. Despite these findings, TDCJ facilities largely do not provide air conditioning to the living areas of the general inmate population, many of whom are serving time for non-violent offenses. At the same time, the TDCJ has spent money on air conditioning for its warden offices and for its armories. Additionally, the TDCJ has not promulgated any maximum temperature policies for inmate housing, even though the Texas Commission on Jail Standards and numerous other state departments of corrections across the country have done so. As a result, TDCJ inmates continue to suffer through Texas summers, and are forced to risk heatstroke and other heat-related injuries while incarcerated with the TDCJ. This Report, prepared by the Human Rights Clinic of the University of Texas School of Law, concludes that current conditions in TDCJ facilities constitute a violation of Texas's duty to guarantee the rights to health, life, physical integrity, and dignity of detainees, as well as its duty to prevent inhuman or degrading treatment of its inmates. These duties have been affirmed by countless human rights bodies and instruments such as the United Nations Human Rights Committee, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and the American Declaration on the Rights and Duties of Man, to mention just a few. Many international human rights decisions have found that extreme heat similar to situations in Texas contributes to a finding of inhuman or degrading prison conditions. The TDCJ's continued incarceration of inmates in extreme heat conditions violates its duties to inmates, and constitutes inhumane treatment of such prisoners in violation of international human rights standards. The Human Rights Clinic concludes that current extreme heat conditions in TDCJ facilities also violate inmates' constitutional right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has recognized time and again that extreme heat in prisons can constitute a violation of inmates' Eighth Amendment rights. In a 2012 case, a 63 year old Texas prisoner presented with a preexisting blood pressure condition, and was taking medication that would affect his body's ability to regulate temperature. The court decided that a reasonable jury could conclude that a failure to provide air conditioning, among other things, to an individual with these conditions was a violation of the prisoner's constitutional rights. Most recently, the Middle District of Louisiana issued a decision in 2013 condemning the extreme heat conditions in a Louisiana prison facility similar to those conditions present in TDCJ facilities as a violation of the Constitution. There is therefore clear and recent precedent for denouncing the hot conditions in TDCJ facilities as violating the guarantees and rights of inmates under the Eighth Amendment. Details: Austin, TX: University of Texas School of Law, Human Rights Clinic, 2014. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 17, 2014 at: http://www.utexas.edu/law/clinics/humanrights/docs/HRC_EH_Report_4-7-14_FINAL.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.utexas.edu/law/clinics/humanrights/docs/HRC_EH_Report_4-7-14_FINAL.pdf Shelf Number: 132378 Keywords: Health CareHuman Rights ViolationsHumane TreatmentInmatesPrison ConditionsPrisoner HealthPrisoners (Texas)Prisoners Rights |
Author: Enggist, Stefan Title: Prisons and Health Summary: This book outlines important suggestions by international experts to improve the health of people in prison and to reduce the risks posed by imprisonment to both health and society. In particular, it aims to facilitate better prison health practices in the fields of: -human rights and medical ethics; -communicable diseases; -noncommunicable diseases; -oral health; -risk factors; -vulnerable groups; and -prison health management. It is aimed at professional staff at all levels of responsibility for the health and well-being of detainees and at people with political responsibility. The term "prison" covers all institutions in which a state holds people deprived of their liberty. Details: Copenhagen: World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe, 2014. 189p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 16, 2014 at: http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/249188/Prisons-and-Health.pdf?ua=1 Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/249188/Prisons-and-Health.pdf?ua=1 Shelf Number: 132461 Keywords: Health CareHuman RightsMedical CarePrison ViolencePrisoner Health |
Author: McDaniel, Dustin S. Title: No Escape: Exposure to Toxic Coal Waste at State Correctional Institution Fayette Summary: A 12-month investigation into the health impact of exposure to toxic coal waste on the prisoner population at State Correctional Institution (SCI) Fayette has uncovered an alarming rate of serious health problems. Surrounded by "about 40 million tons of waste, two coal slurry ponds, and millions of cubic yards of coal combustion waste," SCI Fayette is inescapably situated in the midst of a massive toxic waste dump.2 Over the past year, more and more prisoners have reported declining health, revealing a pattern of symptomatic clusters consistent with exposure to toxic coal waste: respiratory, throat and sinus conditions; skin irritation and rashes; gastrointestinal tract problems; pre-cancerous growths and cancer; thyroid disorders; other symptoms such as eye irritation, blurred vision, headaches, dizziness, hair loss, weight loss, fatigue, and loss of mental focus and concentration. The Human Rights Coalition (HRC), Center for Coalfield Justice (CCJ), and the Abolitionist Law Center (ALC) launched this investigation in August 2013. The investigation is not only ongoing, but also is expanding, as HRC and ALC continue to document reports of adverse health symptoms and environmental pollution, interview current and former prisoners at SCI Fayette, and conduct research. No Escape describes the preliminary findings from our investigation into the declining health of prisoners at SCI Fayette while providing context about the toxic environment surrounding the prison. Our investigation found: - More than 81% of responding prisoners (61/75) reported respiratory, throat, and sinus conditions, including shortness of breath, chronic coughing, sinus infections, lung infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, extreme swelling of the throat, as well as sores, cysts, and tumors in the nose, mouth, and throat. - 68% (51/75) of responding prisoners experienced gastrointestinal problems, including heart burn, stomach pains, diarrhea, ulcers, ulcerative colitis, bloody stools, and vomiting. - 52% (39/75) reported experiencing adverse skin conditions, including painful rashes, hives, cysts, and abscesses. - 12% (9/75) of prisoners reported either being diagnosed with a thyroid disorder at SCI Fayette, or having existing thyroid problems exacerbated after transfer to the prison. - Eleven prisoners died from cancer at SCI Fayette between January of 2010 and December of 2013. Another six prisoners have reported being diagnosed with cancer at SCI Fayette, and a further eight report undiagnosed tumors and lumps. Unlike reports of health problems from prisoners at other Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PADOC) prisons, most SCI Fayette prisoners discuss symptoms and illnesses that did not emerge until they arrived at SCI Fayette. The patterns of illnesses described in this report, coupled with the prison being geographically enveloped by a toxic coal waste site, point to a hidden health crisis impacting a captive and vulnerable population. Our investigation leads us to believe that the declining health of prisoners at SCI Fayette is indeed caused by the toxic environment surrounding the prison; however, the inherent limitations of the survey do not establish this belief at an empirical level. A substantial mobilization of resources for continued investigation will be required to confirm the relationship between prisoner health and pollution from coal refuse and ash. Details: Pittsburgh, PA: Abolitionist Law Center, 2015. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 30, 2015 at: https://abolitionistlawcenter.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/no-escape-3-3mb.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://abolitionistlawcenter.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/no-escape-3-3mb.pdf Shelf Number: 135829 Keywords: Health CareInmate HealthPrisoner HealthPrisonersToxic Waste |
Author: MacNamara, Catherine Title: Improving Prison Conditions by Strengthening the Monitoring of HIV, HCV, TB and Harm Reduction Summary: This report, published April 2016, forms part of the EU co-funded project "Improving Prison Conditions by Strengthening Infectious Disease Monitoring" implemented under the lead of Harm Reduction International in 2015 and 2016. The project aims to reduce ill-treatment of persons in detention and improve prison conditions through improved and standardised monitoring and inspection mechanisms on HIV, HCV and TB. The current report, written by Catherine MacNamara, Lorraine Varley and Patricia Mannix McNamara, presents the mapping situation in Ireland. Prisons and other places of detention are high-risk environments for the transmission of these diseases. This is related to the over-incarceration of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups who carry a disproportionately high burden of disease and ill-health; the criminalisation of drug users and high levels of injecting drug use; overcrowded and substandard prison conditions; inadequate health care; and the denial of harm reduction services. Over the past 20 years, from an Irish perspective, there has been significant improvement in medical services for the prison population. The Irish Prison Service (IPS) has made significant investment since 1999 in better healthcare facilities for prisoners. In 2001 the IPS introduced drug treatment plans and healthcare plans, Hep B vaccine was made accessible to prisoners, nurses were employed, drug free units were expanded, and methadone treatment was implemented. In 2006 the IPS published a drugs policy Keeping drugs out of prison. However, there still remains a lack of information available that would assist public authorities in making decisions with regards to these services. While some progress has been made in the adoption of monitoring mechanisms for infectious diseases in Irish prisons, this progress is arguably less than sufficient or consistent in meeting the standards of human rights-based prison monitoring. The absence of adequate medical services in prisons can contribute to, or even constitute, conditions that meet the threshold of ill treatment. Presently, to our knowledge, inspection of infectious diseases is not formally included in the criteria for inspection of places of detention. Prison monitoring is often separated from health care inspection guidelines, leaving gaps in terms of coherent recording and monitoring. This separation is less than optimal in terms of services being positioned to provide an effective and coherent national response to prisoner need.This report is part of a larger international project that seeks to address this gap. Details: Dublin: Irish Prison Reform Trust, 2016. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 11, 2016 at: http://www.iprt.ie/files/PrisonProjectReport_Ireland_web_A41.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Ireland URL: http://www.iprt.ie/files/PrisonProjectReport_Ireland_web_A41.pdf Shelf Number: 139600 Keywords: Prison ConditionsPrison Health ServicesPrisoner 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: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Title: The Health of Australia's Prisoners 2018 Summary: The health and well-being of people in prison are also those of the community. People in contact with the criminal justice system have higher rates of homelessness and unemployment and often come from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. People leaving prison are members of society needing employment, housing, health care, and other support services in the community to maintain and improve health and well-being, and reduce the likelihood of returning to prison. On 30 June 2018, there were about 43,000 people in Australia's prisons. Most people in prison were either on remand (32%), or serving sentences under 5 years in length (62%), and thousands of people cycle through the prison system each year (ABS 2018a). People in prison have significant and complex health needs, which are often long-term or chronic in nature. They have higher rates of mental health conditions, chronic disease, communicable disease, acquired brain injury, tobacco smoking, high-risk alcohol consumption, recent illicit drug use, and recent injecting drug use, than the general population (AIHW 2015). Improving the health and well-being of people in prison, and maintaining those improvements after prison, benefits the entire community. This report presents the results of the 5th National Prisoner Health Data Collection (NPHDC), which was conducted in 2018. 3 in 4 prison entrants had previously been in prison - Most people (73%) entering prison had been in prison before, and almost half (45%) of prison entrants had been in prison within the previous 12 months. Male prison entrants were more likely to have extensive prison histories than female entrants. More than one-third (35%) of male entrants had been in prison 5 or more times, compared with 15% of female entrants. Indigenous prison entrants were more likely than non-Indigenous entrants to have an extensive prison history. Almost half (43%) of Indigenous entrants had been in prison at least 5 times before, compared with 25% of non-Indigenous entrants. 2 in 5 prison entrants had been told they had a mental health condition, with almost 1 in 4 currently taking mental health-related medication - About 2 in 5 prison entrants (40%) and prison dischargees (37%) reported a previous diagnosis of a mental health condition, including alcohol and other drug use disorders. Women were more likely than men to report: - a history of a mental health condition (65% compared with 36%); - taking medication for a mental health condition (40% compared with 21%). Non-Indigenous prison entrants (26%) were more likely than Indigenous entrants (19%) to report currently taking medication for a mental health condition. 3 in 4 deaths in prison custody were due to natural causes - Between 2013-14 and 2014-15, 115 people died in prison. Almost 3 in 4 (71%) of these deaths were from natural causes, and 1 in 4 (25%) were due to suicide or self-inflicted causes. 1 in 5 prison entrants reported a history of self-harm - More than 1 in 5 (21%) prison entrants reported a history of self-harm. Women entering prison (31%) were 1.5 times as likely as men (20%) to report a history of self-harm. More than 1 in 4 (26%) younger prison entrants (aged 18-24) reported a history of self-harm, higher than any other age group. Almost 3 in 10 younger prison entrants had a family history of incarceration - Almost 1 in 5 (18%) prison entrants reported that one or more parents or carers had been in prison when they were a child. This was more likely among Indigenous entrants (31%) than non-Indigenous entrants (11%). Younger prison entrants (27% of those aged 18-24) were almost 3 times as likely as older entrants (10% of those aged 45 and over) to have had a parent or carer in prison during their childhood. 3 in 4 prison entrants were current smokers - Most (75%) prison entrants said they were current smokers. Indigenous prison entrants (80%) were more likely than non-Indigenous entrants (73%), and women (86%) were more likely than men (73%) to be current smokers. More than 2 in 5 (41%) prison entrants who were current smokers said that they would like to quit. Almost 2 in 3 prison entrants reported using illicit drugs in the previous year Almost two-thirds (65%) of prison entrants reported using illicit drugs during the previous 12 months. Female prison entrants (74%) were more likely to report recent illicit drug use than male entrants (64%), and non-Indigenous entrants (66%) were more likely than Indigenous entrants (63%). Methamphetamine was the most common illicit drug used, followed by cannabis. Almost 1 in 6 (16%) prison dischargees reported using illicit drugs in prison, and 1 in 12 (8%) said they had injected drugs in prison. About 1 in 3 prison entrants had a high-school education level of Year 9 or under - Prison entrants were asked about the highest level of schooling that they had completed - one-third (33%) said Year 9 or under, and 17% said Year 8 or under. About 1 in 4 (25%) Indigenous prison entrants had completed Year 11 or 12 at school, compared with 41% of non-Indigenous entrants. Indigenous entrants (24%) were more likely than non-Indigenous entrants (10%) to report that their highest level of completed schooling was Year 8 or under. Almost 1 in 3 (30%) prison entrants had a chronic physical health condition Almost one-third (30%) of prison entrants said they had a history of at least 1 of the following chronic physical health conditions - arthritis, asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes. Asthma (22%) was the most common chronic physical health condition reported. Almost half (45%) of female entrants had a history of a chronic condition, compared with almost 3 in 10 (28%) male entrants. Of the prison entrants tested for blood-borne viruses, 1 in 5 tested positive for hepatitis C - In 2016, more than 1 in 5 (22%) prison entrants tested positive for hepatitis C antibodies - about 1 in 5 (21%) male prison entrants and more than 1 in 4 (28%) female prison entrants (Butler & Simpson 2017). About half (50%) of the prison entrants who had previously injected drugs had positive hepatitis C antibody tests - 52% of males, and 45% of females. More than 1 in 2 prison dischargees expected they would be homeless on release Homelessness is far more common among people in contact with the prison system than among people in the general community. About one-third (33%) of prison entrants said they were homeless in the 4 weeks before prison - 28% were in short-term or emergency accommodation, and 5% were in unconventional housing or sleeping rough. More than half (54%) of prison dischargees expected to be homeless on release from prison, with 44% planning to sleep in short term or emergency accommodation, 2% planning to sleep rough, and 8% did not know where they would sleep. Details: Canberra, Australia: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2018. 203p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 5, 2019 at: https://apo.org.au/node/238771 Year: 2018 Country: Australia URL: https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2019/05/apo-nid238771-1362216.pdf Shelf Number: 156209 Keywords: Correctional HealthHomelessnessPrisonPrisoner HealthPrisoner Mental HealthPrisoner SuicidePrisoner WellbeingRecidivism |