NCJ Number
243212
Date Published
2013
Length
212 pages
Annotation
This 2012 report presents information on the health of prisoners in Australia.
Abstract
This 2012 report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare presents information on the health of prisoners in that country's correctional system. Highlights from the report include the following: in 2012, 46 percent of prison dischargees reported having ever been told they had a mental health issue while 21 percent of those entering prison were taking mental health related medication; over 84 percent of prison entrants reported being a smoker while 54 percent of dischargees reported drinking alcohol are risky levels prior to imprisonment and 70 percent of prison entrants reported using drugs illicitly during the previous 12 months; and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prison entrants were more likely than non-Indigenous entrants to be current smokers and report risky alcohol consumption. Data for this report were obtained from Australian Bureau of Statistics and the National Prisoner Health Data Collection, which monitors 110 indicators aligned to the National Health Performance Framework. In addition to information on prisoner demographics and socioeconomic factors, statistics are presented in six main areas: mental health, physical health, risky behaviors, health service use, prison health services and procedures, and deaths. The final section of the report presents information on comparisons with prisoners in other countries and future issues that may arise in the area of prisoner health in Australian correctional facilities. Tables, figures, appendixes, and references