By now, those familiar with the U.S. criminal justice system know that 2.3 million Americans are behind bars, accounting for one in every one hundred individuals. As inconceivable as this number might seem, it gets worse. One in thirty-two Americans are either in prison, jail, or on parole or probation.
Many physicians who are witness to the results of the sub-standard (or non-existent) health care services to which some prisoners are subjected, are rallying to bring attention and treatment to this growing segment of the American population.
A new report from the Center for Prisoner Health and Human Rights (CPHHR), a collaboration between The Miriam Hospital and Brown University, indicates that America’s punitive and failing “War on Drugs” is responsible for a 600 percent increase of prisoners in the 40 years the “war” has been waged.
The report’s authors, Josiah D. Rich, M.D., M.P.H, director of CPHHR, Sarah E. Wakeman, M.D., and Samauel L. Dickman, A. B., offer disturbing information concerning health care in the U.S. criminal justice system:
Jails, not mental health institutions, account for the largest number of psychiatric patients
Inmates are four to eight times more likely to suffer from major depression and psychotic disorders than the general population
Only 22 percent of state inmates and seven percent of jail inmates receive mental health care while incarcerated
Approximately 25 percent of all HIV - positive Americans pass through a prison or jail each year, as do one in three Americans with hepatitis C
Hypertension and diabetes are also disproportionately represented in prison and jail
During the two week period after release, formerly incarcerated persons are 129 times more likely to die from a drug overdose than the general population
The authors of the report, published in the June 2, 2011 issue of the ,b>New England Journal of Medicine, hope to see a stronger link develop between correctional facilities and community health care providers, including academic medical centers. The article does not automatically dismiss all correctional health service programs as being below par, in fact, Dr. Wakeman suggests that the criminal justice system might be the first place some individuals receive access to health care.
The need for those in the medical field, legislature and community to unite is the message CPHHR is broadcasting. “The medical community and policymakers must advocate for alternatives to imprisonment, drug-policy reform and increased public awareness in order to reduce the consequences of mass incarceration,” concludes Dr Rich.
With more than fifty percent of all prisoners having a history of drug abuse or dependency, and/or having a form of mental illness, more and more physicians are looking for a solution to help newly released inmates quickly receive the treatment they need. Reducing the recidivism rate by fostering healthier returning citizens is just one of the benefits groups such as CPHHR is promoting.
To view full copy of the article click here to go to website
Source: CURE National
|
|
|
|
