International Journal of Prisoner Health: Volume 19 Issue 3

A legal-realist assessment of human rights, right to health and standards of healthcare in the Malawian prison system during COVID-19 state disaster measures

Marie Claire Van Hout, Victor Mhango, Ruth Kaima, Charlotte Bigland, Triestino Mariniello

The first case of COVID-19 in the Malawi prison system was reported in July 2020. Human rights organisations raised concerns about the possibility of significant COVID-19…

A legal-realist assessment of the Zimbabwean correctional system response to COVID-19 during state disaster measures

Marie Claire Van Hout, Charlotte Bigland, Triestino Mariniello

The first prison system case in Zimbabwe was notified in July 2020 shortly after State declaration of disaster. A legal-realist assessment was conducted of the Zimbabwean…

Respiratory pandemic preparedness learnings from the June 2020 COVID-19 outbreak at San Quentin California State Prison

Ada Kwan, Rachel Sklar, Drew B. Cameron, Robert C. Schell, Stefano M. Bertozzi, Sandra I. McCoy, Brie Williams, David A. Sears

This study aims to characterize the June 2020 COVID-19 outbreak at San Quentin California State Prison and to describe what made San Quentin so vulnerable to uncontrolled…

Addressing sexual and reproductive health and rights with men in prisons: co-production and feasibility testing of a relationship, sexuality and future fatherhood education programme

Martin Robinson, Michelle Templeton, Carmel Kelly, David Grant, Katie Buston, Kate Hunt, Maria Lohan

Young incarcerated male offenders are at risk of poorer sexual health, adolescent parenthood and lack opportunities for formative relationship and sexuality education (RSE) as…

Evaluating the impact of a prison smoking ban on the cardiovascular health of men in a UK prison

Stephanie E. Perrett, Christie Craddock, Gareth Dunseath, Giri Shankar, Stephen Luzio, Benjamin J. Gray

Smoking rates are known to be higher amongst those committed to prison than the general population. Those in prison suffer from high rates of comorbidities that are likely to…

Nutrition availability for those incarcerated in jail: Implications for mental health

Katherine Mommaerts, Nanette V. Lopez, Carolyn Camplain, Chesleigh Keene, Ashley Marie Hale, Ricky Camplain

Using a seven-day cycle menu and commissary items at a rural county jail, this study aims to describe provisions of micronutrients known to be associated with mental health…

Immigrant prisoners in Italy. Cultural mediation to reduce social isolation and increase migrant prisoner well-being?

Maria Garro, Massimiliano Schirinzi, Cinzia Novara, Elena Ayllon Alonso

This study aims to highlight how easy it is for immigrants to break Italian law because of the country’s inadequate cultural and linguistic mediation service. Insufficiencies in…

Psychophysical quality of life and its determinants in prisoners: the role of selected psychosocial factors

Bartłomiej Skowroński, Elżbieta Talik

Penal institutions affect their inmates’ mental as well as physical health. Prisoners have higher rates of physical health conditions than the public. While it is known that…

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence study after the first wave among persons living and working in an overcrowded Swiss prison

Laurent Gétaz, Hans Wolff, Leonel Gonçalves, Giuseppe Togni, Silvia Stringhini, Komal Chacowry Pala, Anne Iten, Idris Guessous, Laurent Kaiser, Francois Chappuis, Stéphanie Baggio

Prisons can be epicentres of infectious diseases. However, empirical evidence on the impact of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic in prison…

Incarceration, menstruation and COVID-19: a viewpoint of the exacerbated inequalities and health disparities in South African correctional facilities

Janice Kathleen Moodley, Bianca Rochelle Parry, Marie Claire Van Hout

The menstrual health and menstrual hygiene management (MHM) of incarcerated women remains relatively low on the agenda of public health interventions globally, widening the…

Self-harm risk screening on prison entry: assessing the predictive validity of self-harm history and recent ideation in men and women

Christie Browne, Prabin Chemjong, Daria Korobanova, Seyoung Jang, Natalia Yee, Carey Marr, Natasha Rae, Trevor Ma, Sarah-Jane Spencer, Kimberlie Dean

Rates of self-harm are elevated in prison, and there is limited evidence to support the efficacy of brief risk screening at reception to predict and prevent self-harm. This study…

Suicide in prisons: describing trends and staff knowledge and preparedness to address suicide

Rebekah A. Freese, Kelli E. Canada, Pagena M. Nichols, Brianna McNamara

Suicide prevention and intervention in prisons is a challenge. Prisons were not designed to be clinical facilities, yet with the growing numbers of people who face mental health…

Death in detention in the Northern part of Tunisia: a 15-year study (2005–2019)

Mohamed Amine Zaara, Mehdi Ben Khelil, Mohamed Bellali, Meriem Gharbaoui, Ikram Kort, Ahmed Banasr, Mongi Zhioua, Moncef Hamdoun

This study aims to analyze the pattern of deaths in detention in Northern Tunisia as well as the causes of death.

Prisoners’ experiences and coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic response – an ethnographic study conducted mid-pandemic

Mathilde Carøe Munkholm

This paper aims to report findings about how prisoners experience and cope with COVID-19 restrictions, which can contribute to an understanding of how pandemic responses, and…

Factors associated with changes in illicit opioid use during the COVID-19 pandemic among incarcerated people who use drugs in Quebec, Canada

Hyejin Park, Blake Linthwaite, Camille Dussault, Alexandros Halavrezos, Sylvie Chalifoux, Jessica Sherman, Lina Del Balso, Jane A. Buxton, Joseph Cox, Nadine Kronfli

People who use drugs (PWUD) have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to examine changes in illicit opioid use and related factors among…

Associated factors to depression diagnosed during incarceration in Peruvian male prisoners: a sub-analysis of the national census of prison population

Ali Al-kassab-Córdova, Claudia Silva-Perez, Andres Quevedo-Ramirez, Marco Gonzalo Mendoza Lugo, Jonathan Azcarruz-Asencios, Giancarlo Castañeda-Montenegro, Sergio Bravo-Cucci, Jorge L. Maguina

Depression has become a major health concern, particularly in developing countries. This disorder is highly prevalent among certain vulnerable populations, such as prisoners. In…