Inmates live with a number of restrictions. They are not able to meet their family and friends anytime, but they can only meet them during visiting hours. They are not able to have gadgets, some department of corrections only provide a certain gadget with restrictions. How about their health? Do they get medical care? If yes, what type of medical care do they get?
Medical Care That Prisoners Receive
The type of medical care that inmates get can vary depending on the state, the specific prison system and the individual facilities. On the WebMd, it is explained that the level of care varies from facility to facility, county to county and state to state.
Jails and prisons may provide different medical care. It is understandable because jails are usually for inmates who stay there around a month, while prisons are for inmates who stay more than 1 year. According to Warren J. Fergusson, MD, a professor of family medicine and community health at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, providers usually only have time to handle acute conditions. More medical care is usually offered by bigger facilities and even they may have a clinic with staff on site and also their own pharmacies. In smaller facilities which only have practical nurses, if there is an emergency, they usually need to call 911.
Furthermore, Ferguson said that institutions which are accredited by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care or the American Correctional Association usually have better care and usually screen a prisoner for various illnesses in 24 hours when they arrive.
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, essential medical, mental health (psychiatric), and dental services are provided for a correctional environment in a consistent manner with accepted community standards. Licensed and credentialed health care providers are used by the Bureau in its ambulatory care units where they are supported by community consultants and specialists. If there are inmates who have chronic or acute medical conditions, several medical referral centers to provide advanced care are operated by the Bureau.
The Limitation of Medical Care
According to the Prison Fellowship, even though prison provides health care, medical and dental care in a prison is limited. Medical personnel are seldom available and prescription medications are often in short supply. It is explained that every prison has a clinic or infirmary to take care of inmates who are sick, but if inmates want to go to medical care, they usually need to send a request. On that site, it is also explained that medication they have been prescribed is usually not permitted to have, but when it’s time for them to consume their medication, the inmates need to go stand in line at the “pill window”. Here, the medicine is distributed one dose at a time and the inmates need to consume their medicine at that time.
How about inmates who have serious conditions? If inmates have serious conditions, they will be taken to a hospital because usually a prison has contracts with regional hospitals for giving medical care for inmates who have serious illness. When inmates with serious illnesses are taken to the hospital, it requires extra security officers and they will oversee the inmates during their stay in the hospital.
Cost for Medical Care in a Prison
Is medical care given to inmates free? Several states require inmates to pay for the medical care and the medications that they get. So, in some cases, a number of inmates choose not to get medical care when they need it because they are not able to afford it or because of some other reasons such as taking too long and bothering. As explained on the WebMD site, in Texas, for example, the fee of a prison sick visit is $13 and because of the fee, sometimes, some inmates choose not to get the medical care.
A bookworm and researcher especially related to law and citizenship education. I spend time every day in front of the internet and the campus library.
