Care For The Incarcerated – Better Or Worse?

There are almost two million individuals who are incarcerated in U.S. federal, state, and local jails and prisons. This makes the U.S. the world leader in the number of people in prison (see People In Jail And Prison In Spring 2021). Of these individuals, 1.3 million (65%) have a substance use disorder (see Criminal Justice DrugFacts); 800,000 (40%) have a chronic medical condition; and 489 (24%) have a mental health condition (see The Health And Health Care Of US Prisoners: Results Of A Nationwide Survey). So the need for treatment among prisoners is great.

But the . . .