Support Prison Health

NYS CoRR Platform Message

NYS Coalition for Rehabilitation and Reentry

Prison Health Services

Prisons can be institutions with unhealthy environments that affect society. There is an enormous disparity in the incidence of communicable diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, and hepatitis among inmates and outside communities. This is blamed on individual behaviors; however, the prison environment and the quality of care can be the factors fostering the problem.

1. Read, Take Pieces, & Edit the following Message:
(or write your own)

The potential seriousness of the NYS prison health problem, and the need for careful oversight, are indicted in the following excerpts from “The Prison Environment and its Effect on Society”, by Cheryl L. Kates, Esq., May 14, 2006:

- The HIV/AIDS rate is six times higher in state and federal prisons than it
is in the general population.

- In New York State, 10,000 inmates are infected with the HIV virus.

- Twenty-five percent of all U.S. inmates infected with AIDS were
incarcerated in New York State.

   - In 1999, active tuberculosis was detected in 12,000 U.S. inmates, which
      accounted for 35% of the total cases, and was 50 times that of non-
      incarcerated individuals.

   - In New York State, during the years 1976-86, the increase in the
     prevalence of inmate tuberculosis was six-fold. At this time 50% of the
     inmates who were infected with tuberculosis were also infected with
     HIV.

- Hepatitis infection is 9-10 times higher in the prison population than that
of the general public.

- In New York State, it is estimated that 10,000 inmates are infected with
Hepatitis C.

The health problem in many prisons can ultimately affect the health of the community, as most incarcerated individuals are eventually released.

I therefore urge you to protect NYS communities:

Give the responsibility of oversight of local and state correctional facility hospitals to the NYS Department of Health, so as to ensure a uniform and adequate standard of care for incarcerated persons.
Direct the NYS Department of Health to review every formalized policy or practice instituted in facilities operated by DOCS and local jails regarding HIV, AIDS and Hepatitis C.

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A summary of all 12 planks can be found at Summary

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