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What Can You Expect From Healthcare in Jail?

A stethoscope is lying on a clipboard.

Whether you have a health issue and will be spending some time in jail or you have a loved one with a medical concern who is incarcerated, you want to know what to expect from healthcare in jail. This post explains inmates’ legal rights to healthcare and what those rights may look like in application.

Legal Rights to Healthcare in Jail

People jailed in the U.S. have a constitutional right to healthcare while they’re incarcerated. This right results from the Eighth Amendment prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment. If officials deny inmates basic medical care, they’re violating this amendment. 

While jails must provide adequate medical care, that doesn’t mean inmates can access specialists or elective procedures. Instead, they’re entitled to care that meets basic needs and addresses medical emergencies.

What Healthcare in Jail Typically Looks Like

To some extent, what correctional healthcare looks like in jail depends on where a person is jailed and how that jail operates. When booked into jail, inmates typically undergo an intake process, which includes a basic health assessment. The assessment aims to identify any immediate medical needs, pre-existing conditions, or mental health concerns. 

Most jails contract with companies like TK Health for medical and mental health services. These companies have expertise that’s lacking among the correctional staff. It’s also more cost-effective to hire a third party that employs medical experts than it is for counties to try to employ the experts necessary to staff a medical clinic.

If inmates need medical care while in jail, a correctional officer escorts them to a medical professional or brings the healthcare provider to them. The officer oversees the treatment for safety reasons. 

Inmates may receive:

  • Basic Medical Care. Routine care for minor injuries and illnesses, such as cuts or fevers. 
  • Emergency Services. These services are provided at the jail, or corrections officers can transport the inmate to a nearby hospital for treatment, if necessary. 
  • Condition Management. Inmates with chronic conditions such as diabetes or asthma should receive regular monitoring, medication administration, and treatment adjustments to manage these conditions. 
  • Prescription Management. Medical staff usually give medications to inmates who need them according to a strict schedule.
  • Mental Health Services. Most jails provide access to mental health evaluations, counseling, and medications for mental health conditions, just like they do for physical health issues.
  • Dental Care. This care is usually provided as needed for serious conditions like infections, abscesses, or extreme pain. Inmates typically don’t receive regular checkups or dental hygiene assessments in jail.

Limitations and Challenges of Healthcare in Jail

While inmates receive basic medical treatment while in jail, they should not expect the same level of care as private citizens when they see physicians, therapists, or dentists. Quite simply, the law requires basic care, not elective procedures or advanced treatments. And, providing even fundamental medical and mental health services is expensive for counties, so they’re unlikely to provide free care beyond what’s required.

Healthcare in jail also has unique challenges, including:

  • Need. Inmates tend to experience more mental and physical health conditions than the average person, making the need for these services greater in jails.
  • Overcrowding. Many jails are overcrowded, which strains their correctional and healthcare systems. 
  • Understaffing. Some jails experience correctional understaffing, making transporting inmates to and from the clinic difficult. 
  • Medications. Correctional staff must receive verification of the medications an inmate must take. Sometimes, medications prescribed outside of jails are not allowed for disbursement at correctional facilities, so clinicians must substitute a comparable medication. 
  • Assessment. Assessing the need for medical care can be difficult and mostly falls on correctional officers. People aren’t always honest about their medical or mental health needs, and those needs aren’t always visually apparent.

How to Address Health Concerns While Incarcerated

Given the unique situation of needing healthcare in jail, how can you address healthcare concerns for yourself or others while incarcerated?

Inmates should report any medical issue promptly, even if they believe the concern is visually obvious. They can report the issue to a correctional officer and tell them they’d like to see medical staff. 

Also, most jails have a system where inmates can fill out a written form, called a “sick call request” or “medical request form,” to report health concerns. This form allows them to describe their symptoms and request an evaluation by a healthcare provider.

Family members can contact the medical clinic through the jail’s primary number to express concerns about an inmate’s health. If you do this, provide the inmate’s full name, booking or inmate ID number, and a detailed description of the health concern. This may include any relevant medical history, current medications, or symptoms the inmate has reported to the family.

If the inmate’s medical or mental health needs aren’t being met, they should continue asking for care and can ask to file a grievance explaining what care they believe they should be receiving that they aren’t. Family members can also escalate medical requests outside of the clinic by contacting the jail administrator or sheriff and moving on to higher authorities if they don’t get the needed response.

Healthcare in Jail

Healthcare in jail addresses fundamental medical care and healthcare or mental health emergencies. It’s typically not meant to be preventative or address elective needs. At TK Health, our mission is to provide quality care at correctional centers throughout the region. To learn more and better understand correctional healthcare, visit our website.

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This content is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to serve as, or replace, professional medical, legal, or other advice. The information shared is based on the author’s knowledge, experience, and research. It is not necessarily applicable in every situation or with every individual.