Journal of Correctional Health Care

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between the early age of onset of sexual activity and the number of sexually related health problems of female inmates at a county jail in a small Midwestern city. Fifty female inmates responded to a 19-item questionnaire regarding sexual history and health. A moderate negative correlation was found [r (48) = -.404, p = .004], indicating a significant linear relationship between the two variables. An earlier onset of sexual activity in years tends to have a higher risk of sexually related health problems. This study can guide health care professionals in developing programs and interventions for high-risk patients.

This is an exploratory study of depression in pregnant women incarcerated in a state prison in California. It was hypothesized that the inmates would experience higher levels of postpartum depression than would nonincarcerated women who have recently given birth. Participants were 120 inmates who recently gave birth while incarcerated. They were interviewed and given the Beck Depression Inventory. It was found that none of the participants were clinically depressed. Descriptive statistics are presented in detail. A qualitative component of the study explored the life experiences of pregnancy by participants. Future research will empirically address the lack of depression or negative reaction to incarcerated pregnancy.

Health care organizations assess clinical processes and procedures to minimize errors, improve outcomes, and increase patient satisfaction. Many correctional facilities, however, are not able to fully engage in continuous quality improvement activities mainly because of a lack of current, relevant quality models and benchmarks to serve as a basis for evaluation. The Missouri Department of Corrections developed a quality indicator matrix based on information used by civilian health systems and collected benchmark data to systematically evaluate their services and identify evidence-based prevention and treatment processes to improve the delivery and management of specific health risk factors and diseases and conditions.

This article examines current trends in jail health assessment practices and their financial implications. A brief historical perspective of the evolution of jail health standards is presented as a preface to analyzing current practices nationally. A survey of 509 jails across the United States suggests that health assessments are conducted aggressively in spite of national guideline recommendations, resulting in a significant amount of unnecessary spending. Despite the fact that 48% of jail inmates will be released within 1 week of incarceration, a significant percentage of jails requires that health assessments be performed within days of incarceration. These health assessment practices are evaluated in light of national practice recommendations, and implications for research, policy, and practice are discussed.

A survey of 134 jail administrators in 39 states revealed that 13.1% of all jail inmates had serious mental illnesses. Perceptions about the effectiveness of 12 broad interventions to respond to these inmates were solicited, and administrators generally reported that mental health units in jails, jail-based case managers, and providing training to jail officers about mental illness were very effective strategies. Programs that diverted inmates with mental illness from jails or mental health courts, however, were perceived to be less effective. Although jails have established strategies to manage these special-needs inmates, such programs are temporary remedies until integrated community-based and jail-linked programs for persons with mental illness are established, appropriately funded, and supported by local and state governments.

The purpose of this research is to estimate the prevalence of two high-risk behaviors (anal sex and injection drug use) in prison inmates and to identify the predictors of HIV-related risk behaviors during incarceration. Data come from a 1998 cross-sectional quantitative study at three Louisiana state prisons for men from surveys (N = 2,287) and presurvey and postsurvey focus groups. Results show that the best way to determine who will inject drugs and have anal sex in prison is to identify inmates who engaged in those behaviors before incarceration. Multivariate analysis found four statistically significant predictor variables, resulting in a small but extremely high-risk group of men who engaged in high-risk behaviors both before and during incarceration. Inmates who, during the month before incarceration, engaged in anal sex, gave sex for money, or used injection drugs and those with high knowledge of HIV transmission risks were more likely to engage in high-risk behavior in prison. Study results suggest that prevention and intervention programs may be more efficient and effective if targeted specifically to this narrowly defined risk group.