Health Disparities in People with Criminal Legal Involvement: a Call for Prison Health Reform

Excerpt

The incarcerated remain one of the most disenfranchised populations in America. While recent trends in criminal justice reform have made progress in reversing historic increases in the incarceration rate, the US prison population remains higher per capita than in any other country.¹ Additionally, while sentencing reforms and early release policies reduce the overall prison population, the number of individuals in the community with criminal legal involvement (CLI) continues to grow. The prison population is unique from the lens of racial disparities in healthcare. It is the only civilian population that has an explicit constitutional right to healthcare where a “deliberate indifference to serious medical needs” constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.² The prison population has also been increasingly limited in its ability to advocate for themselves through the courts. The Prison Litigation Reform Act enacted significant barriers for prisoners to file suits against the federal government.³ Furthermore, racial identity plays a significant role in prison sub-culture and has been correlated to health outcomes.^{4, 5} As the impact the correctional system has on the social determinants of health of these individuals persists long after they reenter the community,⁶ research that focuses on community-dwelling individuals with CLI is important to bridge the gap between the incarcerated and the population at large. …