NCJ Number
203337
Journal
Corrections Compendium Volume: 28 Issue: 11 Dated: November 2003 Pages: 9-26
Date Published
November 2003
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This second part of the Corrections Compendium 2002 survey of 40 United States and 4 Canadian correctional systems focuses on the health-care services for females, the elderly, the chronically or terminally ill, and those with alcohol/drug addictions, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, and tuberculosis.
Abstract
On average, 4.7 percent of inmates were over 55 years old within the United States reporting systems, and 5.7 percent of inmates in Canada were over 55. No special health care provisions were in place in five States or in two Canadian Provinces. Special provisions for elderly inmates included separate housing units or facilities, infirmaries, and hospice care. Laws are in place for early release in 17 of the U.S. reporting systems and 2 Canadian reporting systems. Less than 2 percent of the inmate population was categorized as chronically or terminally ill in eight U.S. correctional systems. In the remaining U.S. reporting systems, the average number was nearly 24 percent of the inmate population, and was as high as 50 percent in Washington State and 51 percent in Mississippi. Based on a reported 63,545 females in U.S. correctional systems in 2002, 47 percent of those reporting systems stated they spent more money for female health care services than the preceding year. OB/GYN care, including prenatal/postpartum care and Pap smears, was provided in 100 percent of the U.S. reporting systems. Mammography was provided in 97 percent of the U.S. reporting systems. In Canada, 100 percent of the reporting systems provided OB/GYN, prenatal/postpartum care, and Pap smears; and 50 percent provided mammography. Testing for HIV/AIDS was done at intake by 52 percent of the U.S. reporting systems, at inmate's request by 72 percent, or at physician's request by 85 percent. The number of HIV/AIDS-infected inmates constituted less than 1 percent of the total population of 25 U.S. reporting systems to a high of just under 10 percent in the District of Columbia. The prevalence of hepatitis C in the reporting systems' populations was higher than HIV/AIDS. Testing for the disease was conducted at intake by 12 percent of the U.S. reporting systems, at inmate request by 47 percent, and at a physician's request by 90 percent. Seventy-seven percent of the U.S. reporting systems tracked those infected with hepatitis C. Protocols for treatment were in use in all the U.S. and Canadian reporting systems. There was no random testing for tuberculosis, and 50 percent of the U.S. reporting systems added an annual TB test to their health care screening plans. A wide variety of treatment plans were being used for this population. 6 tables with State-by-State and Province-by-Province data and information on each survey item