Verified Document

Inmate Health Care Issues Are Significantly Different Essay

¶ … inmate health care issues are significantly different from those of average Americans. Furthermore, in many cases it is accurate to say that these issues have been exacerbated by the process and lifestyle propagated by incarceration. The primary issue facing prisoners is a marked lack of medical and health care treatment, which may become manifest in myriad forms including through a lack of medication, proper facilities, competent professionals and a number of other factors that can contribute to poor health, disease, and even death. While there are a number of issues to be had with the health care system for those who are not incarcerated, it should be noted that the majority of these are pecuniary in nature and stem from relationships with insurance companies. It is largely possible for "free" Americans to get the treatment they need from adequate staff and facilities -- if they have the cash to do so. Within the prison population, however, just being able to obtain the rights to get adequate care is a significant point of contention between inmates and those operating the prisons and their respective health care provisioners -- many of which have become increasingly privatized and find it in their best interests to provide as little service as possible to maximize their earning potential (Holloway 2011). This situation is also made worse by the fact that due to what is oftentimes partisan if not outright substandard healthcare treatment, there is a trend for the body of prisoners to age faster than that of those who are free (Chen 2009).

The societal and institutional consequences of poor inmate health are fairly manifold, and may be evidenced perhaps...

The Eight Amendment, which forbids "cruel and unusual" punishment, is largely cited as the basis for such litigation due to the fact that not providing adequate health services constitutes a violation of this particular piece of legislation. Further consequences may be evinced in the form of advocacy for prison rights. There are a number of both organizations and individuals who have been instrumental in the filing of grievances and in the aid of lawsuits on behalf of prisoners who have suffered from poor health conditions while institutionalized within the penal system. The aim of such actions, of course, is to provide a degree of accountability on behalf of the several private corporations that have been contracted to provide health care service within specific prisons, as well as to change the trend of substandard care for inmates. The end result of litigation and protests from prison advocacy groups can be demonstrated in a lawsuit such as Plata v. Schwarzenneger, in which the Berkeley's Prison Law office is claiming its penal system is irreparably damaged largely due to overcrowding (Noyes 2011). The case is currently being appealed to the Supreme Court, and just may result in some fundamental changes to assist in the health treatment of inmates throughout the system.
The legal decision in the Turner Case is a great example of the fraudulent, specious, and outright duplicitous behavior of the health care industry, which is largely the conclusion of my analysis of this particular issue of health…

Sources used in this document:
References

Chen, S. (2009). "Prison healthcare costs rise as inmates grow sicker and sicker." CNN. Retrieved from http://articles.cnn.com/2009-11-13/justice/aging.inmates_1_prison-inmate-largest-prison-systems-medical-costs?_s=PM:CRIME

Holloway, L. (2011). "The Root: Inmate Health Care Another Kind of Prison." NPR. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/2011/06/08/137055836/the-root-inmate-health-care-another-kind-of-prison

Gallivan, White, Boyd, P.A. (2011). "Alleged Fraud and Negligent Misprepresentation Case Defeated." GWBLawfirm. Retrieved from http://www.gwblawfirm.com/cs-alleged-fraud-and-negligent-misrepresent.php

Noyes, D. (2011). "Problems persist in prison health care system." ABC. Retrieved from . http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/iteam&id=7976780
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

UK Mental Health Policy Mental Healthcare Service
Words: 5534 Length: 12 Document Type: Essay

UK Mental Health Policy Mental healthcare service delivery in the UK has been subjected to a series of significant imperative policy in the last few decades, and number of people suffering from mental illness is on the increase. Recent statistics reveal that one out of four people in the UK has been diagnosed of mental problem. (Mental Health Foundation, 2013, Singleton, Bumpstead, O'Brien et al. Meltzer 2001). Although, mental disorders are

Major Legal Issues Concerning Female Inmates
Words: 7415 Length: 23 Document Type: Research Paper

Women in Prison Major Legal Issues Concerning Female Inmates Problems in corrections: Dealing with the unique needs of women in the prison system The number of female prison inmates in America and internationally is growing. Although men still outnumber women in the prison population, the rates of female incarceration, once considered relatively nominal, have skyrocketed. "In the U.S., where the prison and jail population reached two million in the year 2000, women's incarceration is

Mental Health Needs in the Criminal Justice System
Words: 4387 Length: 15 Document Type: Capstone Project

Crime is Not Just a Criminal Justice Issue Introduction The issue of mental health in the criminal justice system is important because, as Stringer (2019) notes, the US Department of Justice has admitted that nearly 40% of individuals in prison have a history of mental illness. Unfortunately, the criminal justice system does not appear to be focused on addressing the situation in a way that benefits people convicted of crime. The prison

The Affect Rehabilitation Programs to Help Inmates Upon Release
Words: 3558 Length: 11 Document Type: Term Paper

Gangs in Prisons in the United States and the Affect Rehabilitation Programs to Help Inmates Upon Release Prison Gangs are one of the most challenging entities that have to be tackled by the authorities. Their growing influence in the prison setting concerns not just the inside of the prisons, but also the outside world, as when they are released, the members continue causing problems for the society. A lot of

Ethical and Legal Perspectives in
Words: 1055 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Bans save cash. It is costly to encourage smoking in prisons. Smoke-harmed detainees and staff require costly medical care, for different tobacco impacts. Citizens pay, both by expanded duties, and by expanded insurance rates. The prison authorities must raise the issue with government officials and ask them how much smoking costs citizens. When inmates smoke in jail, more bills, hospital expenses, come to citizens: for the smokers' conditions, and

Best Practices in Corrections
Words: 965 Length: 3 Document Type: Case Study

Best Practices in Corrections Correctional best practices A well-established body of best practices supporting humane, decent, and effective approaches to rehabilitation exists in U.S. correctional facilities. This is particularly to high-risk offenders confined in correctional facilities. This study focuses on Correctional Health Care program as a practice contributing towards effective service delivery in various correctional centers. Assess offender risk: risk factors tend to be static since they never change. This focuses on criminological

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now