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Article
Publication date: 2 September 2024

Famara Seck, Stuart A. Kinner and Rohan Borschmann

This study aims to document the incidence and causes of deaths in custody in Senegal from 2017 to 2019 and to describe the demographic and criminal justice characteristics of…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to document the incidence and causes of deaths in custody in Senegal from 2017 to 2019 and to describe the demographic and criminal justice characteristics of decedents.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors examined medical records and death reports relating to all deaths occurring between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2019 during a period of incarceration in Senegal.

Findings

Among the estimated 83,568 people incarcerated in Senegal during the study period, 83 deaths were recorded in custody; 24 in 2017, 32 in 2018 and 27 in 2019. This resulted in a rate of 1.0 deaths per 1,000 incarcerated people. Of the 83 decedents identified, 79 (95%) were males. Similar proportions of decedents were serving custodial sentences (n = 44; 53%) and awaiting trial (n = 39; 47%) at the time of death. Most deaths were recorded as being because of natural causes (n = 67; 81%); the most common causes recorded were cardiovascular disease (n = 22; 27%), cancer (n = 12; 15%) and infectious diseases (n = 11; 13%). Two people (2.4%) died by suicide, and one (1.2%) died as a result of interpersonal violence. Most deaths (n = 59; 71%) occurred in hospitals, 14 (17%) occurred in prisons and 7 (8%) occurred in prison health centers.

Originality/value

The authors observed a higher rate of death and a markedly lower proportion of deaths in custody in Senegal because of suicide and violence, when compared with similar studies from high-income countries. The findings of this study point to a need for greater investment in screening, health care and health promotion in custodial settings to reduce potentially preventable deaths among people in custody in Senegal.

Details

International Journal of Prison Health, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2977-0254

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 August 2021

Rebecca Jane Bosworth, Rohan Borschmann, Frederick L. Altice, Stuart Alistair Kinner, Kate Dolan and Michael Farrell

People in prison are at a higher risk of preventable mortality from infectious disease such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)…

Abstract

Purpose

People in prison are at a higher risk of preventable mortality from infectious disease such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV) and tuberculosis (TB) than those in the community. The extent of infectious disease-related mortality within the prison setting remains unclear. The purpose of this paper was to collate available information on infectious disease-related mortality, including the number of deaths and calculate the person-time death rate.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors searched databases between 1 January 2000 and 18 November 2020 for studies reporting HIV, HBV, HCV, TB and/or HIV/TB-related deaths among people in prison.

Findings

The authors identified 78 publications drawn from seven Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS’ regions encompassing 33 countries and reporting on 6,568 deaths in prison over a 20-year period. HIV/AIDS (n = 3,305) was associated with the highest number of deaths, followed by TB (n = 2,892), HCV (n = 189), HIV/TB (n = 173) and HBV (n = 9). Due to the limitations of the available published data, it was not possible to meta-analyse or in any other way synthesise the available evidence.

Research limitations/implications

To inform targeted efforts to reduce mortality, there is a need for more, better quality data to understand infectious disease-related mortality in custodial settings. Increased investment in the prevention and management of infectious diseases in custodial settings, and in documenting infectious disease-related deaths in prison, is warranted and will yield public health benefits.

Originality/value

To the authors’ best knowledge, this is the first scoping review focussed on deaths due to these infections among people in prison internationally. The gaps identified form recommendations to improve the future collection and reporting of prison mortality data.

Details

International Journal of Prisoner Health, vol. 18 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1744-9200

Keywords

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