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Background: Women in prison have comparatively greater health needs than men, often compounded by structures and policies within the prison system. The notion of a 'health-promoting' prison is a concept which has been put forward to address health inequalities and health deterioration in prisons. It has, however, not been fully discussed in relation to women in prison. The paper aims to distil the learning and evidence in relation to health promotion in female prisons using prison inspection reports of women's prisons in England and Wales.Methods: Prison inspection reports are one way of ascertaining the contemporary situation in prisons. Prison inspections are often unannounced and use a myriad of methods to draw conclusions around various aspects of prison life. Thirteen prison inspection reports were analysed thematically focusing on health promotion within the institutions. Two analysts conducted the work using NVivo 12.Results: Five core thematic areas were identified during the analysis of the reports. Saliently, a joined-up approach to health promotion was not a common feature in the prisons and indeed the focus tended to be on screening and 'lifestyle issues' rather than a concern for the underlying determinants of health. There was often an absence of a strategic approach to health promotion. There were some good examples of the democratic inclusion of women in prison in shaping services, but this was not widespread and often tokenistic. There were some examples of inequity and the inspection reports from a small number of institutions, illustrated that the health needs of some women remained unmet.Conclusions: The paper suggests that there is potentially some work before conditions in women's prisons could be described as 'health-promoting', although there are some examples of individual prisons demonstrating good practice. The health promoting prison movement has, implicitly at least, focused on the needs of men in prison and this has been to the exclusion of the female prison population. This does lead to several challenges and the potential for exacerbating health challenges faced by an already marginalised and vulnerable group. Greater focus on the health promotion needs of women in prison is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article addresses several issues faced by pregnant incarcerated women in the U.S., including lack of adequate prenatal and postpartum care and prolonged solitary confinement. Topics include the current state and federal laws addressing these issues, a discussion of the constitutional protections in which pregnant inmates are entitled to, and the proposed changes for the implementation of national standards of care for pregnant and postpartum inmates that satisfy constitutional concerns.

The objective of this work is to draw a series of coordinates from which to reflect on the pedagogical task that we carry out from the Extension Program in Prisons (FFyL / UBA) in its connection with Comprehensive Sex Education, through presentation, exploration and characterization of certain "ESI scenes" in confinement contexts. For this, I propose in general lines some training axes of the ESI with its possible ways of linking, tension and articulation with cis women and transdeprived of liberty in CPF IV, located in the town of Ezeiza. One of the purposes is to pay for the deployment of non-punitive imaginations anchored in the body, rights and pleasure, in pedagogical political praxis. And above all, endow the university experience with new meanings, which in our specific interventions, moves, disrupts and transcends the academic proposal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transgender women (i.e., persons who were assigned male sex at birth but who live and identify as female) experience forms of discrimination that limit their access to stable housing and contribute to high rates of incarceration; once incarcerated, the approaches used to assign them housing within the jail or prison place them at risk for abuse, rape, and other outcomes. Yet, a paucity of studies explores the implications of carceral housing assignments for transgender women. Whether the approaches used to assign housing in jails and prisons violate the rights of incarcerated transgender persons has been argued before the US federal courts under Section 1983 of the US Constitution, which allows persons who were raped while incarcerated to claim a violation of their Eighth Amendment rights. Reforms and policy recommendations have been attempted; however, the results have been mixed and the public health implications have received limited attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial is presented in which the authors discuss the increase in pregnancy among women prisoners in the U.S., the health of pregnant prisoners, and challenges facing both pregnant prisoners and public health. The article also examines how COVID-19 impacted the lives of pregnant prisoners.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of syphilis and the associated risk factors in a female prison unit. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study including 113 women whom data were collected in two stages: first, blood test to check for syphilis seropositivity; and then collection of information through a form to assess risk situations for sexually transmitted infections. Results: Overall, syphilis prevalence was found to be 22.1% among the female prison population (n=25) and 28.6% among pregnant women. A statistically significant relationship was found between syphilis infection and previous history of sexually transmitted infections (p=0.04). However, most participants diagnosed with the disease were unaware of a history of sexually transmitted infection in the last 12 months (n=20/80.0%). The use of condom with fixed partners was considered to be a protective factor (odds ratio of 0.76; 95% of confidence interval 0.68-0.85). Conclusion: The prevalence of syphilis among the female prison population was high, particularly among pregnant women. Preventive and therapeutic measures as well as appropriate prenatal care can minimize the impact of syphilis in prison systems and, consequently, improve such health outcomes nationwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to gain insight into justice-involved women's preferences for an internet-based Sexual Health Empowerment (SHE) curriculum.Design/methodology/approach: The authors analyzed data from four focus groups conducted with 52 women in a minimum-security county jail in a Midwestern US city.Findings: Women reported daily access to the internet while in the community and use of the internet for searching about health concerns. Four themes emerged in the discussion about preferences for an internet-based SHE curriculum, that it cover healthy sexual expression, how to access resources, video as an educational modality and a non-judgmental approach.Practical Implications: Justice-involved women are potentially reachable through internet-based health education. Their preferences for content and modality can be used to inform internet-based sexual health programming designed specifically for this population. Using this modality could offer easily disseminated, low-cost and consistent messaging about sexual health for a vulnerable group of women.Originality/value: Though internet-based health education programming has been widely utilized in the general population, less attention has been paid to if and how these programs could be utilized with a vulnerable group of women who move between the justice system and communities. This exploratory study begins to fill that gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which editor discusses various articles within the issue on topics including historical emergence of prison medical provisions, transportation of female prisoners and medical need of older women inmates.

Incarcerated women with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) have unique treatment needs. Behavior change models emphasize self-efficacy in making changes to alcohol use, but have not been tested in samples of incarcerated women. Personal agency in several domains was examined as a correlate of alcohol abstinence self-efficacy in a sample of 173 incarcerated women with AUDs. Lower alcohol cravings (β = −0.19, p =.029), greater self-care (β = 0.17, p =.012), and less engagement in transactional sex (β = −0.48, p =.007) were associated with greater self-efficacy. Intrapersonal and interpersonal agency influence incarcerated women's self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the state of reproductive rights and healthcare of incarcerated women in the U.S. and the shift of legislative and grassroots efforts toward dignity for incarcerated women in a bid to bolster constitutional protections.

Although much research has documented the fact that a high percentage of female inmates serving sentences for drug offenses have experienced domestic violence prior to incarceration, little research has been done to explore the potential long-term impact of domestic violence on prison misconduct, health status, and the need for post-release assistance. Based on survey data for 633 female drug offenders collected from Taiwanese correctional facilities in 2014, about one third (32%) of the offenders reported experienced domestic violence at least once prior to their incarceration. In all, 27% of them experienced being violently abused by a spouse/coinhabitant. Multivariate regression analyses indicate that a prior history of domestic violence victimization contributes significantly to inmates' violent misconduct even after controlling for a set of potential intervening variables. In addition, female drug offenders who were the victims of domestic violence reported higher levels of health problems in the prison setting, and perceived need for greater after-release assistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of the literature on women prisoners’ inadequate access to healthcare has focused on the relative rarity of women in prison before the age of mass incarceration. This may explain why prisons initially were poorly equipped to provide healthcare to women, but the gendered nature of Eighth Amendment jurisprudence has allowed prisons to remain so. This Note argues the Supreme Court’s standard for prisoners’ claims of inadequate medical care under the Eighth Amendment denies women equal access to justice in the wake of inadequate reproductive healthcare. By implicitly requiring that women prisoners compare their medical needs to those of men, the current standard for evaluating prisoners’ claims of inadequate medical care, though gender-neutral on its face, creates barriers for women that do not exist for men. In the context of reproductive healthcare, this requirement presents an often-insurmountable obstacle for women prisoners seeking justice under the Eighth Amendment. On March 30, 2004, Michelle Lea Martinez was newly pregnant and in jail in Palm Beach, Florida, on cocaine charges. After experiencing vaginal bleeding, which can be a sign of miscarriage, she requested to visit the medical unit. The jail staff refused because Martinez had not put her name on a list to see the nurse who treated pregnant prisoners. “I was scared,” said Martinez in a later newspaper interview.1 “So I just grabbed the door and I slammed my thumb. I didn’t know what was wrong with me or my baby.” Within ten minutes Martinez received care for her thumb and vaginal bleeding. Martinez knew instinctively what was required to receive adequate healthcare as a female prisoner—an injury that looked like one a man could sustain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article demonstrates how prison food is controlled by the state through denying female prisoners’ choices in food consumption and excluding them from active roles in cooking. Narratives of women in three prisons of India have been used to analyze their experiences with prison food. A majority of inmates perceived food as negatively affecting their health during imprisonment. Some were found to use it as a medium to recreate special identities for themselves, contesting the power of the prison. The study suggests the need for better articulation of the intricate relationship between power, health, and food in Indian prison settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the constitutional argument surrounding reproductive healthcare access in prisons in Massachusetts. Topics discussed include laws governing prisoners right and ability to access reproductive healthcare in the U.S.; challenges that female prisoners face in accessing reproductive healthcare; and Roe v. Wade court case addressing state's interests in regulating abortions and protecting women's health and protecting the potentiality of human life.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe standards for evidence-based reproductive healthcare for incarcerated women. Design/methodology/approach The literature on reproductive healthcare in the US criminal justice system and recommendations from professional organizations were reviewed and critical areas of concern were identified. Within these areas, studies and expert opinion were synthesized and policy recommendations were formulated through an iterative process of group discussion and document revision. This brief specifically addresses women's incarceration in the USA, but the recommendations are grounded in a human rights framework with global relevance. Findings Women who are incarcerated have health needs that are distinct from those of men, and there is a clear need for gender-responsive reproductive healthcare within the criminal justice system. This brief identifies five core domains of reproductive healthcare: routine screening, menstruation-related concerns, prenatal and postpartum care, contraception and abortion, and sexually transmitted infections. The recommendations emphasize the continuity between the criminal justice system and the community, as well as the dignity and self-determination of incarcerated women. Originality/value This brief provides a unique synthesis of the available evidence with concrete recommendations for improving the reproductive healthcare for incarcerated women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to make a case for novel and innovative reentry programs focused on women of color and to describe policy recommendations that are necessary to support the sustainability of these programs and in turn the success of the women who participate in them. Design/methodology/approach A review and analysis of the literature that described job-training opportunities specifically targeted to women exiting jail and the impact on recidivism provided limited information. The authors developed, implemented, and evaluated doula training program for low-income and women of color to determine if birth work could provide stable income and decrease recidivism. Findings Training low-income formerly incarcerated women to become birth doulas is an innovative strategy to solve employment barriers faced by women reentering communities from jail. Realigning women within communities via birth support to other women also provides culturally relevant and appropriate members of the healthcare team for traditionally vulnerable populations. Doulas are important members of the healthcare workforce and can improve birth outcomes. The authors' work testing doula training, as a reentry vocational program has been successful in producing 16 culturally relevant and appropriate doulas of color that experienced no re-arrests and to date no program participant has experienced recidivism. Originality/value To be successful, the intersections of race, gender, and poverty, for women of color should be considered in the design of reentry programs for individuals exiting jail. The authors' work provided formerly incarcerated and low-income women of color with vocational skills that provide consistent income, serve as a gateway to the health professions, and increase the numbers of well-trained people of color who serve as providers of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study presents the findings from the William & Mary Healthy Beginnings Program (W&M HBP), a nutrition-based education program for incarcerated pregnant women. Participants included 116 pregnant women who participated in the W&M HBP (53% identified as a person of color), and 51 incarcerated women (43% identified as a person of color) who recently gave birth but did not participate in W&M HBP. Results show higher birth weights among offspring born to W&M HBP than women in the comparison group. W&M HBP participants significantly increased their pregnancy- and nutrition-related knowledge, and knowledge gains significantly predicted longer gestational periods. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Internationally, best practice for prison health care recommends transferring health service provision from corrections to health authorities. Although it is expected that this change will result in improved health care, there is little evidence of evaluation. This article used qualitative interviews with health service providers to gain insight into the health needs of women's prisons in Queensland, Australia, both prior to and after the transition in health care service provision. We found that service providers identified that problems persisted regardless of service provider and that improvement required increased resources and more fundamental structural changes within prison environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Large numbers of women in prison report significant emotional and mental health problems, and there is evidence to suggest that the prison environment may exacerbate the incidence and severity of these issues (Armour, 2012). However, there has been limited exploration of the extent to which women’s mental health problems exist prior to incarceration, whether symptoms first occur in incarceration, and how incarceration affects this. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approach In-depth interviews were conducted with 43 women incarcerated in three English prisons and a thematic analysis of the data was conducted. Review of official prison records provided a form of data triangulation.Findings Analysis of the data revealed that while many women who experienced mental health issues in prison had experienced these issues in the past, a number of women reported first experiencing mental health and emotional problems only after entering prison. Although these problems often recede, this demonstrates the significant impact that entering prison can have upon the mental health of women. Unusually, the data highlighted many positive experiences of support within prison. However, there was some lack of consistency in the treatment and support offered to women.Originality/value The data presented here are in many ways more positive than previous research and – as opposed to much of the existing literature that simply states the prevalence women’s issues in prison – provides insight into the lived experiences of women in prison. This paper documents how prison can present an opportunity for women to engage with treatment, but there is a need for a clearer understanding of women’s needs and consistent and appropriate support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Incarcerated women have a disproportionate burden of infectious and chronic disease, in addition to substance use disorder and mental health illness, when compared to the general population (Binswanger et al., 2009; Fazel et al., 2006; Fuentes, 2013; Kouyoumdjian et al., 2012). Women often enter the correctional system in poor health, making incarceration an opportunity to address health issues. The purpose of this paper is to explore the barriers to accessing health services that female inmates face during incarceration, the consequences to their health, and implications for correctional health services delivery.Design/methodology/approach Focus groups were conducted in Canadian correctional center with female inmates. Focus groups explored women’s experiences with accessing health services while incarcerated; the impact of access to health services on health during incarceration and in the community; and recommendations for improving access to health services. Thematic analysis was completed using N-vivo 10.Findings The women described multiple barriers to accessing health services that resulted in negative consequences to their health: treatment interruption; health disempowerment; poor mental and physical health; and recidivism into addiction and crime upon release. Women made three important recommendations for correctional health service delivery: provision of comprehensive health entry and exit assessments; improvement of health literacy; and establishment of health support networks. The recommendations were organized into an “Accessing Health Services Resource Manual” for incarcerated women.Originality/value There is a paucity of existing literature examining provision of health services for female inmates. These findings have relevancy for correctional and community health care providers and organizations that provide health services for this vulnerable population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An emerging literature has been building bridges between poststructuralism and participatory action research, highlighting the latter's potential for transformative action. Using examples from participative action research projects with incarcerated or previously incarcerated women, this article discusses how participatory action research is a methodology that can be enabling and restraining, with the effect of destabilising or maintaining or existing relations of power. Theorizing embodied subjectivity as a vehicle and an effect of power, this article explores how participation and action can have normalizing and disciplinary effects, as well as be sites in which participants can interrogate and frame subjectivities in new and alternative ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper contributes to research on the education-health association by extending the scope of inquiry to adult inmates. Not only are inmates excluded from most nationally representative studies of health but they also represent a highly select group in terms of both education and health. As such, our study provides new information about the health of incarcerated populations and it extends the generalizability of the education-health association beyond the non-institutionalized population.Methods: We use a prison-level fixed-effects regression model with the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State Correctional Facilities (n = 287 facilities) to evaluate the effects of education on a standardized morbidity scale of 11 lifetime and current health conditions among incarcerated men (n = 10,493) and women (n = 2,797).Results: Education prior to incarceration is negatively associated with lifetime health problems for both women and men and the association is stronger among women. Among inmates who enter prison with less than a GED level of education, attaining a GED in prison is associated with better current health outcomes for men, but not women.Conclusions: The generalization of the education-health association among prisoners further highlights the fundamental nature of education as a health promotive resource. Discussed are the implications for the education-health literature in general and health promotion efforts among incarcerated adults specifically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This article seeks to identify and discuss violations and challenges to the fulfillment of women's reproductive rights in situations of deprivation of liberty, with an emphasis on sexual and reproductive health. Regulatory parameters were considered as analytical frameworks that support these rights identified by the literature, and the discourses and practices linked to their effectiveness in the everyday life of prisons, collected in interviews with pregnant women and children in prisons, and the professionals whose practices interfere with the exercise of these rights. It was discovered that violations of these rights find support in speech that delegitimizes the motherhood of these women. We consider the use of rights as strategic in the struggle for the transformation of this situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have allowed imprisoned mothers to speak directly about motherhood. In this work, 20 convicted Portuguese mothers were interviewed about their experience of motherhood: Ten were raising their children in prison, and 10 were performing their roles as mothers from prison. The study aimed to understand the potential benefits and detriments of motherhood in both circumstances, and to identify what measures could improve the mothers’ conditions. Using thematic analysis, the findings indicate that women whose children live with them in prison experience some advantages, but motherhood also increases suffering due to restrictions on liberty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inadequate conditions of South Africa's correctional facilities are well known. Health care, sanitation, food provision, access to education and reading materials, and, in particular, overcrowding are considerable challenges faced by the Department of Correctional Services (DCS). Based on interviews with former prisoners, this article retrospectively examines the conditions under which female inmates are incarcerated in South Africa. Findings show that prison conditions in some female correctional facilities are poor and impact negatively on prisoners during, and sometimes after, their incarceration. ('Prisons' and 'correctional facilities' are used interchangeably in this article.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical anthropology has long appreciated the clinical encounter as a rich source of data and a key site for critical inquiry. It is no surprise, then, that a number of physician-anthropologists have used their clinical insights to make important contributions to the field. How does this duality challenge and enhance the moral practice and ethics of care inherent both to ethnography and to medicine? How do bureaucratic and professional obligations of HIPAA and the IRB intersect with aspirations of anthropology to understand human experience and of medicine to heal with compassion? In this paper, I describe my simultaneous fieldwork and clinical practice at an urban women's jail in the United States. In this setting, being a physician facilitates privileged access to people and spaces within, garners easy trust, and enables an insider perspective more akin to observant participation than participant observation. Through experiences of delivering the infants of incarcerated pregnant women and of being with the mothers as they navigate drug addiction, child custody battles, and re-incarceration, the roles of doctor and anthropologist become mutually constitutive and transformative. Moreover, the dual practice reveals congruities and cracks in each discipline's ethics of care. Being an anthropologist among informants who may have been patients reworks expectations of care and necessitates ethical practice informed by the dual roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The health needs of women in sub-Saharan African prisons are both neglected and poorly understood. Outside South Africa, little research exists on African prison health; what is available tends to be gender-blind and concerned with disease prevention rather than with health promotion. While Vetten (2008) has raised this concern previously, a comprehensive overview of women's health and health promotion in African jails is clearly absent. Available evidence shows that the conditions in African prisons are harmful to health, justifying a need for a health promoting prisons agenda rooted in the needs of sub-Saharan Africa. Women prisoners have significant mental and physical health needs, and international conventions on health care are not being respected globally. The health promoting prison concept has considerable attention in the Global North, with a commitment to equivalence of health care, gender sensitivity and to prisoners’ social as well as health needs. This article provides an opportunity for critical reflection on women's health in prison, shows the lack of research in this area, questions the suitability of the health promoting prisons’ agenda for sub-Saharan Africa, draws on our limited experience of the women's prison in Lusaka, Zambia, and produces recommendations to tackle women's health and wellbeing needs within the criminal justice systems of sub-Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The 21st century holds hopes for a better life for women all over the world, especially in Africa. Africa has also seen a rise in women occupying political office with the expectation that this representation will positively impact on policies that affect women, regardless of their status, class or location in life. While these discourses centre on women, one group of women however seem to be in the shadow of being forgotten and are less visible in these discussions – incarcerated women. Women in prisons today are enmeshed in a web of societal and legal constructs. The very basis of prison today in Nigeria which aims at social isolation and confinement, repentance, punishment and deterrence, protection and reformation becomes the veil that often obscures these women's visibility and conversely social access to them. Although women's health has been on the priority list of international development discourses over the last four decades or more, women prisoners continue to fall through the cracks due to issues of access. This article explores the state of incarcerated women's health in Nigerian prisons, then examines the current policies aimed at improving their health as well as how activists and human rights advocates have addressed this issue in Nigeria. It also explores the social construction of women offenders and how gender-blind approaches to women's health within the Nigerian penal system merely reinforce and deepen thegender paradox1of social oppression experienced by women in the wider society. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Women in prison in Africa experience compounded discrimination due to gender and poverty. Structural inequality results in women being poorly educated, having reduced access to economic resources and legal processes. Women often remain in pre-trial detention since they are unable to afford bail or fines. A significant number of women in prison are mothers and often, the sole or primary caregiver of children prior to detention. The true impact of female detention is felt by children who are imprisoned with their mothers, or who remain alone on the outside. In addition to the profound social and economic impact on families, women in prison are affected by a number of gender-related issues, including reproductive health needs, mental health disorders connected to prior experiences of violence, abuse and substance abuse, and heightened vulnerability to sexual abuse and harassment in detention. The literature review looks at the reasons for female imprisonment in a number of African countries, and explores the unique needs of women in detention, against the backdrop of the international detention framework, and particularly, the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-Custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article describes the development and feasibility testing of a cell phone–based intervention (Sober Network IPT) among 22 women with comorbid substance use and depressive disorders transitioning from prison to surrounding communities. Feasibility/acceptability measures included phone logs, exit interviews, and pre–post measures of substance use, and depressive symptoms up to 9 months post-release. Results indicated that phone-based transitional treatment is feasible and acceptable. Participants valued the opportunity to maintain contact with familiar prison treatment providers by phone after release, and used the cell phones for help with service linkage, support, and crisis management. We describe relational and practical lessons learned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the authors discuss various reports within the journal on topics including vulnerable defendants, America's criminal justice system, and the disability- and health-related experiences of women inmates in North Carolina's prisons.

The article discusses the disability- and health-related experiences of women in North Carolina's prisons as of 2015, and it mentions the relationship between poor health and criminal activity, as well as issues related to public health, sociology, and criminology in North Carolina. Efforts to improve the health conditions of female inmates are mentioned, along with the North Carolina Department of Correction and issues such as high blood pressure and mental health disabilities.

This study examined drug use, hepatitis C, and service availability and use among a high-risk sample of rural women serving time in jails. Data was collected from female offenders (N = 22) who participated in four focus groups in three rural jail facilities located in Appalachia. Findings indicated that drug misuse is prevalent in this impoverished area of the country, and that the primary route of administration of drug use is injection. Findings also indicate that injection drug use is also commonly associated with contracting hepatitis C (HCV), which is also perceived to be prevalent in the area. Despite knowledge associated with HCV risks, women in this sample were seemingly apathetic about the increasing spread of HCV in the area and unconcerned about the long-term consequences of the course of the infection. Implications for future research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of offenders with eating disorders in women's prisons in Japan has grown annually over the last 15 years. Women's prisons have experienced significant difficulties in the management of patients with eating disorders who have body-critical complications arising from low body weight, in addition to behavioral problems. Patients in Japan's 185 correctional facilities who display high refractoriness or who present a physical risk are transferred to the Hachioji medical prison, a national specialty hospital operated by the Ministry of Justice. The medical prison must manage any psychosomatic problems necessary for the safety of inmates regardless of a patient's wishes. The most common conviction resulting in imprisonment of women with eating disorders was shoplifting (n = 44; 63%), with the second most common being drug-offenses (n = 17; 24%). While shoplifting is of concern in relation to eating disorders, a causal relationship remains unclear. Most patients in the shoplifting group did not have histories of antisocial and/or impulsive behaviors such as drug abuse, sexual deviation, self-injury, or other criminal activity. Instead, shoplifting appears to be an obsessive-compulsive behavior deeply rooted in the psychopathology of severe eating disorder patients. Patients in this group tended to have histories of relatively high education and steady employment, although most also had histories of prolonged eating disorders and unstable treatment. Although adherence to treatment was poor among patients with eating disorders in the medical prison, body weight and behavioral problems improved following treatment in the special compulsory environment, without severe sequelae or patient death. The Ministry of Justice recently established another specialized ward for the care for female patients with eating disorders. If greater emphasis is placed on early-stage, protective, medical treatment, the number of patients with eating disorders in prisons may decrease. Further research is required to investigate the relationship between shoplifting and eating disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to investigate the well-being of female inmates in Italian prisons. The hypothesis is that stress in women prisoners is strictly related both to 'external' networks and 'internal' support, and is more linked to the feeling of loneliness than to coping with the difficulties of prison life. Qualitative study involving adult female prisoners in the prisons of three Italian regions (Campania, Lazio, Emilia Romagna). 37 individual semi-structured interviews were conducted. The interviews were processed using the CAQDAS contents ( Computer Assisted/Aided Qualitative Data Analysis Software) by the software Atlas.ti, to practice the Grounded Analysis method to attain the construction of categories and its relations. The interviews show multiple levels of reflection, crossbreeding mainly two plans: a situational one and a personal one. The main dimensions emerged are: the access to activities in prison (work, projects, sociality) experienced as a deterrent to depression and as an opportunity for the future reintegration into the 'free' society; the motherhood, as a spur to a resilience, but also in reference to the difficulties associated with the conditions of segregation. The main theme that crossed all the conversations is the loneliness lived as a prison disease. More attention should be given to the re-socialization aspect of prisons, constructing new ways to guarantee the prisoners a valid alternative to deviant behaviours so as to help restore family relationships and the reintegration in society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to explore incarcerated women's awareness, beliefs, and experiences with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and vaccination. Design/methodology/approach -- Researchers conducted focus groups with 45 incarcerated women in an urban Midwestern US jail to assess how women talked about their Papanicolaou (Pap) test screening and abnormal Pap test follow-up experiences. Some focus group questions specifically assessed individual awareness, beliefs, and experiences with HPV infection and vaccination. Based on these data, the authors described participants' awareness of HPV, as well as used open coding to ultimately extract themes related to beliefs and experiences with HPV infection and vaccine. Findings -- While all 45 participants reported experiencing an abnormal Pap test event within the last five years, only two-thirds of participants (n¼30) reported having heard of the HPV infection. Several themes emerged from the analysis of the data: the women's beliefs about cause and severity of HPV; frustration with age requirements of the vaccine; varied experiences with vaccinations for themselves and their children; the impact of media exposure on knowledge; and desire for more HPV infection and vaccine information. Originality/value -- Incarcerated women's awareness and limited experiences with HPV infection and vaccination may be a barrier to adequate screening and cervical cancer prevention. This study has implications for the development of cervical health education for this high-risk group of women, who are four to five times as likely to have cervical cancer as non-incarcerated women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of non-criminogenic identities is associated with criminal desistance. This article explores the ways in which women use prison foodways to try to construct positive identities and the impact of correctional policy on these efforts. Formerly-incarcerated women were interviewed about the acquisition, preparation, distribution, and consumption of food in prison. In these narratives, women used their prison food practices in an attempt to construct themselves as 'good' and 'healthy'. Stories showcased their capacity for friendship, empathy, self-care, and recovery. However, these positive identities were destabilised by prison rules and unhealthy food choices. Prison policies should be reviewed to promote inmates' efforts to construct these positive characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Prisoners, in general, exhibit unsatisfactory oral conditions, especially with regard to the large number of missing teeth and with untreated caries. The aim of this study was to assess tooth loss, use of and need for prosthetic rehabilitation, and use of dental services among inmates. A cross-sectional study involving 65 inmates was developed at the Regional Women's Prison of Campina Grande, Brazil. Data regarding sociodemographic and sentencing profile, use of dental services, dental morbidity, and self-perceived oral health impacts were investigated. Chi-square, Pearson, and Kruskal-Wallis (P < 0.05) statistical tests were used. The mean tooth loss was 11.3 teeth. Significant association between tooth loss and oral health satisfaction (P = 0.049), self-perceived need for dental prosthesis (P < 0.001), uncomfortable teeth brushing (P = 0.005), difficult speaking (P = 0.002), and difficulty in performing routine tasks (P = 0.025) was observed. It was observed that 29.2% of inmates were using some type of prosthesis, all deemed unsuitable for use, and 78.5% of inmates needed prosthetic rehabilitation. The oral health condition of the population studied was found to be poor, and prisoners showed significant tooth loss and need for dentures, with the aggravation of having tooth extraction as the major reason for seeking dental care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inmates with mental health and co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders present difficult challenges for correctional institutions and treatment providers. The complex nature of co-occurring disorders further exacerbates these difficulties and is associated with poor treatment compliance and increased likelihood of engaging in institutional misconduct. The current study examines whether exposure to prison-based treatment reduces involvement in prison misconduct among a sample of female prison inmates controlling for disorder types (i.e. mental health disorder only, substance use disorder only, and co-occurring mental and substance use disorders). Findings revealed that with exposure of more than 181 days of treatment, the odds of misconduct involvement among females with co-occurring disorders more than doubled compared to receiving no treatment. This finding is at odds with treatment retention literature that suggests that a minimum period of time in treatment is needed to affect post-treatment success. Possible explanations for these findings and policy implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background Past studies have identified poor rates of detection of mental illness among inmates. Consequently, mental health screening is a common feature to various correctional mental health strategies and best practice guidelines. However, there is little guidance to support the selection of an appropriate tool. This systematic review compared the sensitivity and specificity of mental health screening tools among adult jail or prison populations. Methods A systematic review of MEDLINE and PsycINFO up to 2011, with additional studies identified from a search of reference lists. Only studies involving adult jail or prison populations, with an independent measure of mental illness, were included. Studies in forensic settings to determine fitness to stand trial or criminal responsibility were excluded. Twenty-four studies met all inclusion and exclusion criteria for the review. All articles were coded by two independent authors. Study quality was coded by the lead author. Results Twenty-two screening tools were identified. Only six tools have replication studies: the Brief Jail Mental Health Screen (BJMHS), the Correctional Mental Health Screen for Men (CMHS-M), the Correctional Mental Health Screen for Women (CMHS-W), the England Mental Health Screen (EMHS), the Jail Screening Assessment Tool (JSAT), and the Referral Decision Scale (RDS). A descriptive summary is provided in lieu of use of meta-analytic techniques due to the lack of replication studies and methodological variations across studies. Conclusions The BJMHS, CMHS-M, CMHS-W, EMHS and JSAT appear to be the most promising tools. Future research should consider important contextual factors in the implementation of a screening tool that have received little attention. Randomized or quasi-randomized trials are recommended to evaluate the effectiveness of screening to improve the detection of mental illness compared to standard practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives This study describes the oral health status and associated risk factors in a sample of female prisoners and compares their oral health to that of the female population from the 2009 Adult Dental Health Survey.Method A random sample of prisoners was selected from HMP Holloway, London. Structured interviews were carried out to collect information on oral health behaviours and oral health related quality of life. Clinical examinations using the Adult Dental Health Survey criteria assessed the oral health needs of prisoners.Results The mean age of female prisoners (n = 103) was 30.9 ± 9.6 years. The prevalence of oral diseases was high. Seventy-five percent had decayed or unsound teeth. The mean DMFT was 12.3 ± 7.5. Compared to the general female population, prisoners had more decayed and fewer filled teeth. Sixty-six percent had periodontal pockets of 4 mm or more. A large proportion (73%) reported at least one oral impact on daily performances. Prisoners were more likely than the general female population to engage in oral health damaging behaviours such as high sugar intake and smoking.Conclusion This survey has demonstrated the poor state of oral health and identified considerable levels of unmet dental treatment needs in HMP Holloway. Urgent action is required to address this major public health problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historians have castigated the British medical profession for endorsing forcible feeding during the suffragette hunger strike campaigns of 1909 to 1914. This article reconsiders the importance of medical opposition to forcible feeding by closely analysing its agendas and, importantly, by positing that the medico-ethical debates sparked in that period set the stage for ethical discourses that have recurrently resurfaced ever since. Although leading contemporary medical institutions and figures did indeed turn a blind eye to forcible feeding, the nature of medical opposition where it did arise, and the complex medico-ethical dilemmas posed by the procedure, demand fuller investigation, not least because they illuminate concerns still raised today. More specifically, I explore historical disagreement on forcible feeding as a therapeutic or coercive technique, the complex positioning of the prison doctor who performed the procedure and contestation over the extent to which the state ought to intervene in prison medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The current study examines health care services and perceptions of those services by former inmates of a women's prison in 1 southeastern state. The results indicate that many women enter prison with health issues, including hypertension, HIV/AIDS, depression, anxiety, and drug addictions, and use health services while incarcerated. Women in this study expressed overall dissatisfaction with those health services and did not perceive that their health improved while incarcerated or that they received better health care in prison than on the outside. This exploratory study points to the need for further empirical investigation into the issue of health care for the incarcerated female. The generalizability of the study's findings is possibly limited by the fact that respondents were former female inmates. Also, results from 1 southeastern state may not be generalizable to other geographic locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]