Health Status of Women in Prison: A Situational Analysis

Abstract

The considerable escalation of women sent to prison during the latter 20^th century finally helped shift attention to the various social, economic, and medical needs of the historically, neglected population. Women are usually imprisoned for petty and non-violent crimes, mainly for property and drug related offences, and often come from socially disadvantaged communities. In comparison to their free world female and incarcerated male counter parts, female prisoners suffer more frequent and serious diseases and injuries and require and utilize more medical and mental health services. Women in prison have higher levels of depression anxiety, phobias neuroses, self mutilation and suicide compared to the general population and male prisoners. Women who enter prison usually come from marginalized and disadvantaged backgrounds and are often characterized by histories of violence, physical and sexual abuse. They generally have more and more specific health problems than male prisoners and tend to place a great demand on the prison health service than men do. Women's more complex reproductive system increases the risk of other female specific disorders. Compared to men, women have higher rates of infective, respiratory and digestive diseases. Further, injuries, ear diseases, headaches, genitourinary disorders, skin and musculoskeletal diseases are more common among women. Today, the three most important health care issues of women prisoners are Pregnancy and gynecology, HIV and infectious diseases and Mental illness. Health care for pregnant women in prison is often far from equivalent to that available in the community. They seldom have access to any maternal education during pregnancy to help prepare them for the birth. The nutrition offered in prisons often fails to meet pregnant women's needs. After giving birth, women in prison are frequently discouraged from breastfeeding as it is perceived as interfering with prison routines, even while it is widely recognized that breastfeeding is the best method of infant feeding. The situation is more pathetic for women prisoners who are aged. At an elderly age they suffer from specific physical and psychological disabilities which are rarely taken care of. For many of the women prisoners screening at a prison for all ill health and diseases may be the first time they have ever undergone a physical examination. It is in this back drop that the present paper aims to increase the visibility of the physical and psychological health status of women prisoners. It also aims to know how effectively these needs are being addressed and how these needs could be addressed. Rehabilitation of prisoners is one of the most important goals of incarceration and the correctional system might be the last best chance of change and improvement.