Medical Neglect in Prison: Exploring the Healthcare Limitations in United States Prisons

• In Event: The Physical and Mental Health Impacts of Incarceration

Abstract

Healthcare within prisons is limited by multiple factors, including staffing shortages, financial resources, and policy barriers. These limitations can influence the experience of incarcerated individuals during both the incarceration and the reentry process. Therefore, it is crucial to explore the current problems surrounding healthcare in prison, as well as the different forms of medical neglect experienced by incarcerated individuals. The current project, funded by a Bureau of Justice Assistance Fellowship grant, involved interviews with 448 incarcerated individuals across eight prisons in the United States. Individual experiences with medical neglect and perceptions of healthcare barriers are both identified across interviews. This type of data, which is frequently limited by access restrictions, allows for a broader contextualization of lived prison experience. Further identifying cases of medical neglect can help shed light on experiences and perceptions related to prison healthcare.

Authors

• Andrew Martone, Sam Houston State University

• Chelsey Narvey, Sam Houston State University

• Danielle Rudes, Sam Houston State University

• Bryce Kushmerick-McCune, Sam Houston State University