A Study of Young Offenders’ Perceptions of Health and Health Care Services in Custody and in the Community

The level of unmet health needs in young offenders has been raised as a concern in recent research with this population. There is a lack of research examining the views of young offenders on health issues and the services available to them. This article summarizes a qualitative study conducted in four young offender institutions in the United Kingdom with young people expressing

their attitudes toward aspects of health and the provision of health care services. While there were gaps in their knowledge, the young people were well informed of the services they could access. They also identified barriers to accessing these services and the effect that being in custody could have on their health. Many of the young people thought that the services provided in custody addressed their health needs more successfully than community-based services. Implications for user-informed service delivery to meet their health needs are discussed.