What You Need to Know About Women’s Healthcare During Incarceration
Imprisoned women often face horrible, and sometimes inhumane, healthcare treatment every day. Here is everything you need to know about women’s healthcare during incarceration.
The United States prison system is generally built around a male-specific model. This leaves many correctional facilities significantly unprepared to meet the unique biological, physiological, and social health needs of women in their care. This negatively impacts the health of female inmate populations and presents a challenge that needs to be addressed.
As of 2018, there were approximately 219,000 women incarcerated in the United States. This group represents the fastest-growing inmate population in the US federal prison system and accounts for over 30% of the world’s incarcerated women. Conditions like poor infrastructure, unsatisfactory prison living conditions, restricted access to counseling services and social support, solitary confinement, intimidation and harassment by correctional officers, the possibility of physical or sexual abuse, and inadequate trauma care can build upon one another and exacerbate negative health outcomes for female inmates.
Public Health and Reproductive Justice
The lack of access to quality health care for female inmates remains a serious issue as countless individuals continue to die or see their health status deteriorate while in prison. One example of this is the shocking fact that many prisons do not hire health care providers who are properly trained in obstetrics and gynecology, leading to decreased rates of screenings and erroneous interpretation of test results. Oftentimes, many women that are at higher risk for preventable diseases such as breast cancer are either not screened or have abnormal screening results that go undetected. Access to health care in some prisons is so nonexistent that it was known as “deathcare” among the inmates.
Adequate family planning services and reproductive health care also remain significant issues within the federal prison system. About 5% of female inmates in local jails are pregnant when admitted, along with 4% of state prison female inmates and 3% of federal prison inmates. Many of these inmates lack access to the necessary prenatal care, screenings, and social support required for a safe, healthy, and comfortable pregnancy and delivery. While all U.S. prisons and jails are required to provide prenatal care, there are no detailed federal standards set that ensure that female inmates are actually getting the care that they need.
It is a well-known fact that mother-infant attachment is extremely important for infant development and maternal well-being. However, mothers who give birth while serving time are separated from their infants almost immediately following birth, leading to higher rates of postpartum depression and emotional trauma. This separation takes a large emotional toll on new mothers that are incarcerated and has been found to increase rates of re-entry into the prison system. Further, due to the fact that women are often the primary caregivers of their children, they are faced with the difficult task of maintaining and caring for their families during their imprisonment. Individuals that do not have a spouse or family living nearby often fall victim to the displacement of their children. This situation adds to the stress that many of the women already battle, not only while they are in prison, but also when they return to their communities.
Related: Women’s Reproductive Rights in California
How to Fix the Issue at Hand
Currently, the most basic health needs and human rights of women prisoners are not being met. This violation of rights, coupled with inhumane prison conditions, makes an already vulnerable population even more at risk for poor health outcomes. The key to female inmates having appropriate long-term health is providing a nurturing and rehabilitative environment. A focus on trauma care, rehabilitation, comprehensive pre-release planning, and effective post-release case management may positively influence health outcomes and ultimately lead to decreased female prison populations and lower rates of recidivism.
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If you or a loved one would like to know more about women’s healthcare during incarceration, contact us. We’ll get you in touch with the most qualified lawyer for your unique legal matter. Get your free consultation with one of our Women’s Rights Attorneys in California today!