Poor prisoner health is a problem for everyone

Poor prisoner health is a problem for everyone

A report released today says that improving the health of prisoners has wider benefits for the whole community.

The National Health Committee (NHC) report Health in Justice: Improving the health of prisoners and their families and whānau identifies opportunities and makes recommendations to improve the health of prisoners, their families and whānau, and the wider community.

Prisoners have very poor health in comparison with the general population. In their lifetime, more than half of prisoners have experienced a serious mental health condition; 64 percent at least one head injury. Nearly 90 percent have a lifetime prevalence of substance misuse. Many have had infrequent contact with the health system. This has left the Department of Corrections to care for a large proportion of New Zealand’s patients with the highest and most complex health needs. The NHC is advising government to consider transferring responsibility for prison primary health care from the Department of Corrections to the health sector.

‘The state has a responsibility to care for the health of those it incarcerates,’ says NHC Chair Pauline Barnett, ‘and also to care for the health of their dependents, especially children. Returning people to their children and communities in poor or worsening health is not in anyone’s interest and only adds to demands on the health system, offending rates, and our growing prison population.’

On the other hand, Barnett emphasises, ‘Prisoners are part of our community. They come from and return to our communities and neighbourhoods – often staying in prison only briefly – and their poor health has implications for all of us. Even a short stay in prison is an opportunity to address health concerns of prisoners with resulting health benefits to their families and to the health of the public.’

The NHC report outlines ways in which imprisonment contributes to poor health and the broader impacts on families and children, drawing on original research with prisoners and their families. It highlights inefficiencies in the way the health and justice systems function, leading to poor health outcomes, poor investment and duplicated effort. The report includes recommendations to improve continuity of care to prisoners as they enter, transfer between, and leave prison, and to improve Māori health and prisoner health overall with the help of Government’s Whānau Ora initiative.

Health in Justice calls for four major changes: To provide significant additional investment in services such as mental health and addiction treatment services; to make a series of changes to minimise the negative effects of incarceration; to improve health care delivery; and most significantly, to transfer responsibility for prison health care from the Department of Corrections to the health sector.
Many jurisdictions, including some Australian states, report significant improvements in the quality of health care and health outcomes as a result of the health sector delivering care in prisons.

Barnett stresses, ‘The health, economic, and social costs of not investing in health services for prisoners are high. As a reflection of a just society, and to reduce reoffending, we must make every effort to minimise the adverse health consequences of imprisonment. New Zealand’s health system is best placed to provide contemporary, integrated health and disability services to prisoners. The benefits will accrue to our whole society and to future generations, but so too will the costs if we fail to take action.’

The National Health Committee provides independent advice to the Minister of Health. The report: Health in Justice: Improving the health of prisoners and their families and whānau. Kia Piki te Ora, Kia Tika! He whakapiki i te ora o ngā mauhere me ō rātou whānau and reports on supporting research are available at www.nhc.health.govt.nz.

ENDS

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