Have you ever considered taking an assignment to work in a correctional facility, but then had some doubts that caused you to dismiss the opportunity? Let’s be honest, healthcare in corrections hasn’t always received much publicity and the little publicity it does receive tends to be negative. A quick internet search will turn up all sorts of stories and opinions on prisoner healthcare, and if you don’t have any firsthand experience “behind bars” it’s hard to know exactly what to believe. I have worked for almost 20 years in jails and prisons of all sizes, so I am going to take this opportunity to discuss three of the top myths you are likely to hear about providing healthcare in correctional facilities. Myth #1. Prisoners don’t receive healthcare while they are incarcerated. Nothing is further from the truth, in fact prisoners are the only group of individuals for whom receiving medical care is a civil right. Yes, in the 1970’s the supreme court ruled that correctional facilities have a constitutional obligation to provide medical care to prisoners. Today, not only is medical and mental health care provided, there are national and local correctional health organizations which have developed standards of care, provide accreditation for correctional facilities, and offer certification in correctional healthcare for providers. Most states also have statutes establishing the right to healthcare for prisoners as well. Myth #2. Working in a jail or prison is boring, and I will lose my skills. I admit that prior to working in corrections, I wondered what in the world I would do all day. The image I had was of healthy, muscular, young men who spent their days lifting weights in the prison yard and, other than the occasional cough or cold, I couldn’t imagine what services they could possibly need from me. Well, that myth was quickly dispelled. As a nurse colleague of mine liked to say: “Anyone can get arrested”. Prisoners suffer from the same chronic conditions and acute problems that you see in the community. DIABETES AND HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE DON’T GO AWAY AT BOOKING. NEITHER DOES CANCER OR ANY OTHER CONDITION THAT AFFLICTS HUMAN BEINGS. Caring for prisoners demands a high level of skill and will hone your critical thinking. Jails don’t have lab, X-ray and specialists at our fingertips, so we must develop sharp assessment skills. Our patients are some of the most complex and challenging, they often come to us with conditions that have gone untreated for years. Substance use and mental illness complicate almost every health problem we encounter. Source
