NCJ Number
236415
Date Published
2010
Length
206 pages
Annotation
This report examines National Prisoner Health Indicators in Australia.
Abstract
Chapter 1 presents an introduction of the second national data collection on prisoner health in Australia, and reports against the National Prisoner Health Indicators. Chapter 2 includes statistics about prisoners in Australia and an overview of the participants in the National Prisoner Health Census along with information on the prison environment. Chapter 3 focuses on prisoners' health conditions at reception, including mental health, communicable diseases, chronic conditions, and women's health. Chapter 4 focuses on health behaviors, including smoking, alcohol use, illicit drug use, and condom use. It also covers the use of health services in prison and the community before entering prison. Chapter 5 relates to prison health services including visits from Aboriginal Medical Services or Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organizations, referral of prison entrants to mental health services, identification of suicide or self-harm risk, transfers to community hospitals, availability of immunizations, discharge planning, medication and prison clinic use, and health staff-to-prisoner ratios. Chapter 6 relates to deaths including deaths in custody and post-release deaths. Chapter 7 provides comparisons between the prisoner population and the general Australian population, as well as the Indigenous community in Australia. Chapter 8 discusses gaps in the currently available data and future collection strategies. The report concludes with eight appendixes: comparisons with 2009 data, the indicators included in this report, external data sources, prisoner health services in Australia, key policy directions, prisoner health legislation in Australia, prisons in Australia, and prisoner health Census forms. Data for this report come from the National Prisoner Health Census which was conducted during October and November 2010 in 44 of the 45 public and private prisons in all States and territories in Australia except New South Wales and Victoria. Tables, figures, and references