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This study examines female inmates’ utilisation of and satisfaction with provision of health services, based on data from the 1996 New South Wales (Australia) Inmate Health Survey. Particular variables – indigenous status, mean age, age range, and education level – were analysed for factors associated with satisfaction with provision of health services. Further analysis indicated that for nine outcomes, correctional centre location was the only statistically significant indicator of satisfaction with various aspects of health‐care provision. Three factors – correctional centre location, indigenous status, and age group – were associated with being satisfied with health care received during a woman’s last prison doctor consultation. This study’s most important finding – that correctional centre location was associated with inmates’ satisfaction with health care services in gaol – has implications for governments regarding physical access to health services, and for ensuring services meet inmates’ needs at each correctional centre location.

The purpose of this paper is to compare the rates of chronic health conditions and lifestyle factors between Australian-born and overseas-born inmates and to uncover predictive relationships between lifestyle factors and health outcomes for both groups.

Data are presented from a cross-sectional study based on a sample of inmates from correctional sites in New South Wales (NSW). The inclusion of results here was guided by the literature relating to the healthy immigrant effect.

Results indicate that a higher proportion of Australian-born inmates consumed alcohol at higher levels and were more likely to smoke on a daily or almost daily basis than overseas-born inmates. Australian-born inmates were also more likely than overseas-born inmates to have been diagnosed with cancer, epilepsy or hepatitis C. Physical activity predicted the number of diagnoses for Australian-born inmates while physical activity and smoking frequency predicted the number of diagnoses for overseas-born inmates.

Overseas-born inmates make up a considerable portion of the prison population in NSW. A better understanding of those health and lifestyle factors that distinguish them from Australian-born inmates provides important insight regarding health promotion and the planning of service provision for those providing health care in this space.

Comparison of the health of immigrant and native-born prison inmates has not been undertaken before and promises to provide important information regarding those factors that distinguish a sizeable minority in the prison population.

Background. High and variable rates of attendance at GP consultations in prisons are observed. The aim of the study is to have a clearer understanding of social factors influencing inmates’ help‐seeking behaviour and demand for primary health care. Methods. A qualitative study was carried out in five Belgian prisons (three Dutch‐speaking and two French‐speaking). Twenty‐five male inmates were interviewed face‐to‐face and 18 caregivers (7 nurses and 11 GPs) in focus groups. Results. Five main social factors explain inmates’ help‐seeking behaviour and demand for primary health care: (1) inmates’ negative perception of imprisonment increases help‐seeking behaviour; (2) inmates use their rights to health care as strategies to maintain some form of control over their lives; (3) the doctor’s role distorts expression of need and demand; (4) health professionals’ control over inmates’ lives creates mistrust and a controlling therapeutic relationship; and (5) lack of alternatives to health care. These factors are mutually dependent and cause a confrontation in the inmates’ and clinicians’ agendas. Conclusion. The most important recommendation is to understand what the inmates are really seeking in their demands. This information can be used to develop appropriate alternatives in terms of human support and well‐being facilities. The therapeutic and security roles of health care workers should be separated, in order to increase the trust that is central to the therapeutic relationship between them and inmates.

Oral health is an integral part of general health. Different population groups have been assessed for oral health status in India, but still, many have been neglected; one such group is the prisoners. The prison population is a unique and challenging one with many health problems, including poor oral health, which may be due to lack of knowledge about good oral health practices. This study aims to assess effectiveness of oral health education on oral health knowledge, attitude and practices and oral hygiene status among the male prison inmates of central jail in Kolkata, India.

An interventional study was done among 240 male convicts. The data was elicited using a structured proforma; oral health status was assessed by recording OHI-S index, and the severity of gingivitis was assessed by recording the gingival index. Oral health education was delivered by using audio-visual aid. Oral health knowledge, attitude, practices and oral hygiene and gingival status were reassessed among the inmates before and after dental education at the end of three and six months.

A significant change in oral health knowledge, attitude and practices was seen, which in turn resulted in an appreciable decrease in the mean gingival index score (1.73 ± 0.382 to 1.20 ± 0.321) and OHI-S (3.31 ± 0.815 to 2.57 ± 0.551) in all the inmates after oral health education program over the period of time.

The oral health education with reinforcement proved to be an effective tool to instil good oral hygiene practices in the inmates.

Developing interventions in challenging contexts should imply proper discussion from its theoretical framework to implementation details. The purpose of this paper is to examine health promotion in prison settings as a mean of improving inmates’ rights concerning physical/emotional well-being, empowering inmates both to reclusion and re-entry challenges.

The development of a health promotion program, implemented in a prison setting with an initial group of 11 inmates, is described. The program design followed professionals’ and inmates’ inputs and previous similar interventions taking a peer education, community-based and participative approach.

Although some prison settings present major constraints to interventions’ development, the authors were able to perform the program and reinforced the idea that prisons can and should be health-promoting contexts. The authors found several specific needs that must be addressed when people are under custody, if we want imprisonment to be developmental instead of detrimental experiences.

As a single-year-funded program, its replication and valid evaluation were enabled. Being external to the system also complicated the process agility, and conditioned inmates’ selection and compliance.

This paper promotes a best-practices forum in this issue; it addresses prison health agents’ training, who may assume an institutional essential role; it concerns inmates’ rehabilitation and ultimately, community health and safety.

The use of a peer education approach in these contexts is an innovative feature, since it has been developed in other institutional contexts and social groups. Nevertheless, the authors maintain the strong adequacy of this methodology to work with inmates and inside prison settings.

Australia, like other western nations, is experiencing a new trend within its prison population ‐ the ageing inmate. This ‘greying’ of the population presents a unique challenge for the correctional environment. Specific needs of this population may not be well met within a correctional facility due to the physical environment layout and surroundings, restricted health service access and unaccommodating facilities and programmes. This is compounded by limited visits from family and friends. This paper outlines some of the general needs of the older male inmate and the difficulties this poses for correctional and health services. Current international initiatives and programmes used to address the ageing population’s needs are briefly examined, as are the implications for Australian and international correctional and health services wishing to implement such schemes. The applicability of Government Legislation, pertaining to the standards of care in the community, to correctional aged care programmes and facilities is discussed.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss five domains impacted by the transformation of correctional mental health care in the USA: public health, public safety, legal obligations, fiscal responsibility and ethical standards, as well as critical issues such as administrative segregation, suicide prevention and reentry planning.

In the last four decades, the USA has seen a sizable growth in its criminal justice system and corrections population. It has also seen reductions in civil and community-based mental health care. Persons with mental disabilities have come to represent a highly disproportional segment of the corrections population. The paper discusses the implications and underlying causes of these developments as well as recent responses to them.

This set of circumstances is starting to change the mission of correctional health services from crisis intervention and suicide prevention to include preparation for the inmate's almost inevitable return to the community.

Such changes have led to further developments in correctional mental health care, in particular, policy designed to treat mental illness, reduce its destructive outcomes such as suicide, and facilitate successful reentry into the community in attempts to reduce recidivism and improve clinical outcomes. Mental health care professionals working within corrections have likewise faced ethical challenges in effectuating treatment.

The poor health of prisoners was highlighted in the results of two comprehensive health surveys conducted with prisoners in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. The capacity of a dedicated service to address the health needs of prisoners was tested through analysis of the health of two prisoner cohorts: a continuously serving cohort, and a cohort of prisoners who had been incarcerated and released during the period of interest, 1996‐2001. It appears that mental health services best addressed the needs of a stable prisoner population. Short‐stay prisoners do not gain any degree of benefit. Primary health and drug and alcohol services address the needs of prisoners less effectively, irrespective of their duration of stay. Women’s health was very poor on all measures that were assessed. With the exception of mental illness, the health inequalities that prisoners experience are not addressed by existing prisoner health services. This may be due to the magnitude of the burden of ill health among prisoners, or due to inadequate resources ‐ or some combination of both. While these results should not be taken as supportive of coercive institutionalisation (i.e. imprisonment) as a therapeutic option, there may be benefit in more humane and compassionate institutions for some of society’s most vulnerable individuals. The results highlight the potential for prisoner health service providers in redressing years of health neglect and the low levels of service utilisation by this group while in the communi

Around the world, prison complexes have always been fundamentally taxing environments. The strained atmosphere within these prisons often contributes to the deterioration of mental health, mostly those who may already be psychologically vulnerable. This paper aims to understand whether there exists a relationship between the built environment of prisons, particularly the central prisons of India and its effects on the mental health of inmates.

By means of literature reviews, the study parameters were found to be connectivity to nature, lighting, acoustics, colour, air quality and thermal comfort. The data collected through interviews and email correspondences with identified experts were analysed thematically using a deductive approach to derive a set of practical recommendations, which could be implemented in Indian prisons.

The built environment of prisons impacts the prison population by further contributing to depressive symptoms. The effects of the built space persist regardless of social factors. A well-designed environment is healthy for its occupants and would yield positive changes. However, it is not the sole contributor to depression; social interactions, prison management, societal acceptance and meaningful activities are equally relevant factors. The sole focus of this paper is the relationship between the built environment and the mental health of inmates.

There is a paucity of research into the intersection between prison architecture and the mental health of inmates in the Indian subcontinent. This paper that addresses the gap may have significant consequences on how criminal reform is perceived, and also encourage further research in this field.

The purpose of this paper is to develop and evaluate the Standards of Healthcare Facility for Thai Female Inmates (SHF-TFI) through healthcare service improvement.

This research and quality improvement project was comprised of three phases. Surveying healthcare facilities and in-depth interviews with female inmates as well as prison nurses were employed in Phase I. Expert reviews and public hearing meetings were used for developing the SHF-TFI in Phase II. Satisfaction questionnaires, focus group interviews of the female inmates, and in-depth interviews with nurses and prison wardens were utilized to evaluate feasibility and effectiveness of SHF-TFI implementation in Phase III.

The SHF-TFI was elaborated in order to be more specific to the context of the correctional institutes and correspond with healthcare as to the needs of female inmates. It was divided into three main aspects: administrative standards, health service standards and outcome standards. After implementation, nurses reflected on the feasibility and benefits of the SHF-TFI on the organizations, inmates and nurses. The female inmates perceived remarkable improvement in the healthcare services including physical activity promotion and screening programs for non-communicable diseases, the physical environment and sufficiency of medical equipment. Moreover, the pregnant inmates and incarcerated mothers with children shared their views on better antenatal and child developmental care, as well as availability of baby supplies.

The findings support the feasibility and effectiveness of the SHF-TFI for quality care improvement and applicability of the Bangkok Rules in women’s correctional institutes.