Running head: HEALTHCARE IN PRISONS 1

Healthcare in Correctional Facilities

Name

Institution
HEALTHCARE IN PRISONS 2

Healthcare is a right that prisoners should enjoy the same way other free people enjoy.

Implementing healthcare services in state and federal correctional centers faces several

challenges. For example, there is an increased population in the correctional centers leading to

congestion hence the high spread of infectious diseases such as TB. The issue of healthcare

services in the prisons has raised several debates about whether inmates should or should not

receive treatment and proper care (Schmalleger et al., 2007).

A prisoner is entitled to proper healthcare while they serve their term in prison. The goal of

providing healthcare services to prisoners is to ensure that they do not spread infections to other

inmates and correctional center employees. Providing medical care to HIV positive inmates is a

trend that prisons should embrace, and preventing HIV from spreading begins at the testing

stage, followed by medication. Inmates should be given counseling services while concerning

HIV. The medication they receive in the correctional facilities should equal that of the working

citizens. While this may seem like wastage of taxpayers' money, the resultant effect is enormous

since it will reduce the spread of the virus by inmates who get released. Particular medication

such as heart transplant should also be offered in the correctional facilities.

The correctional officers are usually surrounded by risks of contracting infectious diseases from

inmates. The risk is due to the congestion of prisons, which offers a good ground for the spread

of contagious diseases. The correctional officers are in charge of monitoring the progress of

inmates in their infections. Some of the illnesses are airborne, meaning that they are easily

contracted through the breath. This provides a high risk of contracting the virus.

Correctional officers should always take precautions while attending to inmate patients. One of

the precautions is to avoid treating TB patients in closed rooms for more natural ventilation.

Another caution to make is to use protective gear such as gloves while injecting patients or doing
HEALTHCARE IN PRISONS 3

blood or stool test. Some of the viruses quickly enter a person's body through the skin. Lastly,

correctional officers should always go for regular medical checkups for earlier control of

infection.
HEALTHCARE IN PRISONS 4

Reference

Schmalleger, Frank, and John Ortiz Smykla. 2007. Corrections in the 21st Century. New

York: McGraw-Hill.