“Your Right to be Free from Cruel and Unusual Punishment” In the Eighth Amendment it forbids conditions such as physical brutality, sexual assault, and outrageous conduct. On day to day basis prisoners are mistreated and robbed the right of affective health care while serving their sentences. The approximately 1.2 million inmates in U.S. correctional institutions have a high prevalence of communicable diseases, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, tuberculosis, hepatitis B virus infection, and gonorrhea; (Glaser 1993). In a way insufficient prison health care becomes its own form of capital punishment. Prisoners health is left to the mercy of the state. Just because someone is incarcerated doesn’t mean they should be stripped from basic human right. Some federal judges feel that prisons health care to be unconstitutional. This is a public problem because love ones of individuals that are incarcerated are feared for their survival. Citizen on the outside are very limited to information about what goes on in prisons.
According to an article on Clinical infectious Diseases “newly incarcerated inmates have an increased prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus infection, hepatitis B virus infection, hepatitis C virus infection, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia, while incarcerated, inmates are at an increased risk for the acquisition of blood-borne pathogens and sexually transmitted diseases.” Mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder are very likely as well not guaranteed sustained medication. This should raise eyebrows to the many areas should as women prisons. One in every 25-female inmate is pregnant. Pregnant women are given little to zero care. Pregnancy symptoms like loss of blood, morning sickness, aches and pains most women see the doctor about unfortunately their being denied medical attention. Knowing that women sometimes give birth while incarcerated rises concern about the safety of the child.
Having proper health care in prisons can affect the population outside as well. Fiona Kouyounmdjian a doctor with the Centre for Research on Inner City Health of St. Michael’s Hospital stated, “Improving health in people in jails and prison can also improve the health of the general population, improve the safety of our communities, and decrease health care cost.” In the journal she give an example “ treating infectious diseases can prevent ongoing transmission, treating people with mental illness can decrease crime and provide access to primary care can cut down on expensive Emergency Department use” (American Journal of Public Health. 2015). I think people fail to realize some inmates due their time and upon release the enter the world again and the condition they go through in jail has a great impact on them. So, one can obtain mental issue while incarcerated and if not treated upon release is a mentally unstable has just entered the civilization. Without support to motivate this individual to seek help they are likely to find trouble again they’re not mentally stable.
To add to the chaos inmates also face extra fees. They must pay medical copayment which go toward prison revenue according to the public policy initiative. Some inmates get as low as 12 cents an hour if inmates don’t have outside financial support its nearly impossible to support themselves on necessities. The prison system has been privatizing health care which help them save money. And keeping the public out of the loop to internally what’s going
The Correctional Medical Authority (CMA) was created by the Florida legislature in 1986. One of the events that led to the creation of the CMA was in1972; Costello lawsuit, where a Federal lawsuit was filed by Florida inmates alleging inadequate medical care and overcrowding. As a result, Federal courts appointed special monitors to the Florida prisons. Health care is still something that is not correctly administered through prisons. In 2017, 428 prisoners died in Florida prisons (Miami herald, 2017).
In order to improve health care, there are standards that need to be put in place. According to Enggist in the Prisons and Health, a good quality health care system depends on a lot of factors like resources in the prion, the current health care in the community the prison is in. He stated the capacity of the prison plays a major factor in the because it’s hard to supply needs in overcrowded prison. Even though there is an Amendment made to protect inmates many jails and prisons lack information, technology and clinical information. There needs to be a policy set in place to make sure inmates are getting proper and effective medical attention will incarcerated.
In the events to improve this public problem a possible policy change would be to create more programs to insure inmates are getting proper healthcare such as the CMA. Programs that must make sure prisons are treating their inmates with at least the standard minimum of health care. So, these programs will insure that at least one qualified medical officer is monitoring the relationship with between inmate and the health administration at the prison. Make sure that prisons have a correct number of doctors to prevent understaffing. Each prison should have the correct type of doctor for instance a psychiatrics to help with the mental health problems or dentist available for dental care. If sick prisoners who require special treatment, they shall be transferred to a hospital institution to meet his/her needs.
Also, these programs should be able to expose prisons of how their health care system are being ran. The mistreatment of inmates should be broadcasted to the public. The creation of programs can make sure doctor has the proper equipment and supplies to make sure doctors can administer correctly. In women intuitions, there needs to be proper accommodations to insure parental care is effective. Mothers should be able to have their children safely and be confident in the nurses assisting. The babies of inmates should get the correct treatment just as much as child being born to a nonincarcerated mother. Evaluations of the inmates can conduct by these programs, so they can get an idea of what needs are to be meant.
Today health care in prisons is a growing epidemic that can worsen if it’s not changed. The lives of inmate are at risk while in custody. Delivery of healthcare is something every human being in entitled to. Programs should be put into place to ensure that inmates are getting treat rightfully. Prison institution should no longer be able to get away with this mistreatment. Some cons might be getting the prisons to fund these programs. Prison will have to be willing to allow these programs to help improve their quality of health care.
