MEDICAL CARE IN U.S. JAILS - A 1972 AMA SURVEY

• NCJ Number: 9946
• Author(s): C STEINWALD; G ALEVIZOS
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 51 pages
• Corporate Author: American Medical Assoc
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

DATA ON MEDICAL FACILITIES, AVAILABLE MEDICAL PERSONNEL, AND SPECIFIC HEALTH SERVICES PROVIDED TO INMATES IN JAILS.

Abstract

'OF THE 2930 QUESTIONNAIRES MAILED TO SHERIFFS, 1159 USABLE RESPONSES WERE RETURNED. ACCORDING TO RESPONDENTS, ... 65 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDING JAILS HAD ONLY FIRST AID FACILITIES, WHILE 16 PERCENT HAD NO INTERNAL MEDICAL FACILITIES.' IN ONLY 38 PERCENT OF THE JAILS WERE PHYSICIANS ON CALL ON A REGULARLY SCHEDULED BASIS, FIFTY PERCENT RETAINED ON AN ON CALL BASIS, AND 31 PERCENT OF THE JAILS HAD NO PHYSICIANS AVAILABLE. SEVENTY-EIGHT PERCENT CALL PHYSICIANS AS THEY ARE NEEDED. IN MOST OF THE FACILITIES PRESCRIPTION DRUGS ARE DISPENSED TO INMATES. IN THE MAJORITY OF THESE CASES, THEY ARE DISTRIBUTED BY NON-MEDICAL PERSONNEL OFTEN ON PHYSICIANS' ORDERS. ALTHOUGH SANITARY INSPECTIONS ARE CARRIED OUT ON A REGULAR BASIS IN 87 PERCENT OF RESPONDING JAILS, ONLY 49 PERCENT WERE INSPECTED MONTHLY OR MORE FREQUENTLY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)