Distrust of prison healthcare providers as a barrier to care access among older incarcerated adults

• In Event: Prison Legacies from the Past & Present

Abstract

Incarcerated people often have extensive health needs compared to their community-dwelling peers. This is especially the case among older adults, who represent a sizeable and growing portion of the U.S. prison population. While research has expanded in recent years regarding health-related experiences among imprisoned older adults, research surrounding their perceptions of barriers to medical care in these settings remains limited. In this study, we examine distrust in prison medical staff as one barrier to health care among a sample of incarcerated older adults. Qualitative data were gathered from in person interviews with 193 older men incarcerated across three U.S. prisons. Respondents reported low trust in prison medical staff. Lack of trust was most often framed with reference to (a) doubts about medical providers' credentials and/or competencies; (b) beliefs about financial interests being a driving force for providers' decisions about medical care; and (c) perceptions that prison medical staff are less invested in incarcerated patients because of stigmatized beliefs about incarcerated people. Findings reinforce the importance of addressing carceral medical neglect and enhancing trust between incarcerated patients and their medical providers.

Authors

• Meghan Novisky, Cleveland State University

• Chelsey Narvey, Sam Houston State University