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At least 811 records · Page 45Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Oral health status of a federal prison population.

The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of decayed, missing, and filled teeth among federal male prisoners (aged 21-75) in the US Penitentiary. Leavenworth, Kansas, and to assess the impact of age, race, number of years incarcerated, and number of visits to the prison dentist on these parameters of oral health. Inmates (n = 191) were randomly selected and represented 16.4 percent of the prison population (N = 1,161). Two calibrated examiners collected caries and tooth loss data using NIDR criteria. No radiographs were taken. Results showed a mean DMFT of 12.9 for inmates aged 20-34, 16.4 for inmates aged 35- 44, and 22.1 for inmates aged 45 and older. Whites had significantly fewer decayed teeth (P less than .05) than black inmates for ages 20-34. The number of missing teeth increased significantly (P less than .01) with inmate age. Proportion edentulous (both arches) was 5.2 percent for ages 35 to 44, 17.3 percent for ages 45-54, and 45.5 percent for ages 55 to 75. Cross tabulations and chi-square analyses showed that inmates incarcerated less than two years had a significantly (P less than .001) lower utilization rate of dental services, and that inmates who made greater use of available dental services had fewer decayed teeth than those with lower utilization rates.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Jabs in the dark: injecting equipment found in prisons, and the risks of viral transmission.

Injecting drug users in prisons may reuse and share contaminated injecting equipment, increasing their risk of infection with blood-borne viruses. We examined 58 syringes found in three metropolitan Adelaide prisons during a one-year period: 95 per cent were one millilitre volume; blood was visible in 24 per cent; 58 per cent indicated repeated use; 33 per cent were wrapped in plastic; and 26 per cent had detachable needles, allowing more blood to be trapped in the dead space between the syringe barrel and needle than with the fixed-needle variety. The nature and condition of some of these syringes suggested they might transmit contaminated blood. The ineffectiveness of present approaches to keeping injecting equipment out of prisons demands a more enlightened approach to harm minimisation. With doubts cast on the efficacy of bleach, education should be supported by practical means to reduce transmission of viruses. Provision of sterile injecting equipment is a possible option.

Humans↗
PubMed2003

Oral health status of prison inmates--New South Wales, Australia.

BACKGROUND: This paper assesses the oral health status in a prison population and identifies risk factors associated with oral health. METHODS: Cross-sectional stratified random sample of 789 prisoners (657 males and 132 females) from 27 correctional centres across New South Wales, stratified by sex, age and aboriginality. A face to face interview was used to collect information on health status and behavioural risk factors. A subset of participants (312 males and 22 females) received an oral examination which enabled the decayed, missing or filled permanent teeth (DMFT) score to be calculated. RESULTS: In the last 12 months 391 (50 per cent) inmates had visited a dentist. Reports on treatment received at this last visit were mainly for dental examinations, (62 per cent), dental fillings, (38 per cent), and dental extractions (28 per cent). Self-reported dental needs indicated that 42 per cent perceived the need for a check-up; the perceived need for dental fillings was highest in females compared with males. The mean DMFT for the population was 20.4 and 3.4 for decayed teeth. CONCLUSIONS: This survey demonstrates that the standard of past oral health care for prison inmates is low. There is a need to be more attentive to oral health promotion as eventually respondents will be returning to the community.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Strongyloidiasis in Allied ex-prisoners of war in south-east Asia.

One hundred and sixty ex-servicemen who had been prisoners of war in south-east Asia during 1942-5 were investigated for infection with Strongyloides stercoralis. Larvae were found in 44 (27.5%) of the men, who had therefore been infected for 34-37 years. Direct microscopy of the faeces was the most successful diagnostic method, giving a positive result in 37 cases (84%); multiple examinations were often necessary. Faecal culture was positive in 30 cases (68%), but examination of duodenal fluid obtained with the string test gave a positive result in only 17 (39%). The mean blood eosinophil count and mean serum IgE concentration were higher in the infected men, though normal values were often found in individual cases. Clinical manifestations of isolated strongyloides infection were analysed by comparing the infected men with control groups of ex-prisoners in south-east Asia without proved strongyloidiasis and ex-prisoners in Europe. Twenty-nine infected men (66%) complained of non-specific urticaria, and 13 (30%) had pathognomonic larva currens. Gastrointestinal symptoms significantly more common in the infected group were diarrhoea, indigestion, lower abdominal pain, pruritus ani, and weight loss (p <0.05-p <0.0005).The study group was thought to be reasonably representative of Allied ex-servicemen imprisoned in south-east Asia during the second world war. Probably there are many thousands of infected persons in several countries. The worm has an unusual ability to multiply, and larvae may spread throughout the body in immunosuppressed subjects.

Aged↗
PubMed1969

Epilepsy in prisons: a diagnostic survey.

A previous study has suggested that epilepsy is commoner in prisons than in the general population. We devised a standard definition of "epilepsy" and then interviewed a representative sample of the "epileptics" in prisons. The results confirmed the initial conclusion, and showed the point prevalence of epilepsy in prison and Borstals to be at least 7.1/1,000 men.

Electroencephalography↗
PubMed1999

Food refusal in prisoners: a communication or a method of self-killing? The role of the psychiatrist and resulting ethical challenges.

Food refusal occurs for a variety of reasons. It may be used as a political tool, as a method of exercising control over others, at either the individual, family or societal level, or as a method of self-harm, and occasionally it indicates possible mental illness. This article examines the motivation behind hunger strikes in prisoners. It describes the psychiatrist's role in assessment and management of prisoners by referring to case examples. The paper discusses the assessment of an individual's competence to commit suicide by starvation, legal restraints to intervention, practical difficulties and associated ethical dilemmas. Anecdotal evidence suggests that most prisoners who refuse food are motivated by the desire to achieve an end rather than killing themselves, and that hunger-strike secondary to mental illness is uncommon. Although rarely required, the psychiatrist may have an important contribution to make in the management of practical and ethical difficulties.

Communication↗
PubMed2002

Dementia in prison: ethical and legal implications.

As the number of elderly prisoners increases in the UK and other Western countries, there will be individuals who develop dementia whilst in custody. We present two case vignettes of men with dementia in English prisons, and explore some of the ethical implications that their continuing detention raises. We find little to support their detention in the various purposes of prison put forward by legal philosophers and penologists, and conclude by raising some of the possible implications of The Human Rights Act 1998.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

HIV risk behaviors and their relationship to posttraumatic stress disorder among women prisoners.

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed HIV risk behaviors and their association with psychiatric disorders among women prisoners. METHODS: HIV risk behaviors practiced in the five years before incarceration were ascertained with the Risk Behavior Assessment interview for 177 inmates at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women. The Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV was used to determine the occurrence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depression, and dysthymic disorder among the women. Regression models were used to determine the association between HIV risk behavior and psychiatric disorders. RESULTS: HIV risk behaviors in the five years before incarceration included never or rarely having used condoms (56 percent of the women), injection drug use (42 percent), sexual intercourse with a partner who used injection drugs (42 percent), prostitution (30 percent), needle sharing (30 percent), receptive anal sex (19 percent), and having more than 100 sex partners (7 percent). After the analysis adjusted for age, education, race, HIV status, and addictive disorders, a lifetime occurrence of PTSD was associated with the practice of anal sex (odds ratio=1.7; 95 percent confidence interval=1.26 to 2.16; p<.02) and prostitution (OR=1.56; 95% CI=1.17 to 1.95; p<.03). CONCLUSIONS: HIV risk behaviors before incarceration were highly prevalent among the women in this study. Rates of PTSD, depression, and dysthymic disorder were also high. PTSD was associated with prostitution and receptive anal sex, and the disorder may contribute to high rates of risky sexual behavior. Targeted HIV risk reduction efforts among women prisoners should include evaluation for PTSD; conversely, women prisoners with a diagnosis of PTSD should be evaluated for prior HIV sexual risk behaviors.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

A study of outrage of modesty offenders in a Singapore prison.

Outrage of modesty (OOM) offenders cause considerable annoyance and distress to their victims. The offending behaviours include touching, grabbing or fondling of erogenous or non-erogenous parts of the victim's body. The purpose of this study is to examine a prison cohort of OOM offenders and to compare them with a group of OOM offenders who had been remanded in a state mental hospital. All prisoners serving sentence over a two-year study period were interviewed. They were of similar mean age to the hospital cohort but were better educated, more likely to be married and most were working. Victims tended to be young females with an average age of 19 years. Psychotic disorders were rarely present, although 15% had a dissocial personality disorder. Those with previous OOM convictions were likely to have had past psychiatric consultations and were more likely to be unmarried. However, there were no statistically significant differences between convicted first-time offenders and repeat offenders with respect to age, educational level, nature of offences and alcohol consumption. The prisoners were less inclined to commit their offences in the mornings. Breasts and genitalia were the favoured targets for molest action, irrespective of time or place or whether the offence was committed by a first or repeat offender. The offences were often committed along staircases, corridors and in crowded public places.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Unmet needs of remand prisoners.

A needs assessment protocol which examines 11 problem areas was devised. This was administered to 277 prisoners on remand at Brixton Prison. We found high levels of unmet need for housing, treatment of substance abuse and neurotic symptoms. Twenty-nine per cent were transferred to hospital under the provisions of the Mental Health Act and about a third of those at liberty to do so complied with a discharge plan. Diversion and discharge planning can potentially meet the unmet needs of remand prisoners.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Social and independent living skills for psychiatric patients in a prison setting. Innovations and challenges.

There is a tremendous need for mental health services in correctional settings. An innovative psychosocial rehabilitation program that emphasizes skills training has been implemented by a state mental health agency within a large state prison. Preliminary results indicate that the treatment is effective in teaching social and independent living skills to mentally ill inmates. However, durability of treatment effects ultimately depends on the ability to track and to provide follow-up services for inmates after they are discharged to the general prison facility or to parole settings. Recommendations for developing and implementing effective systems of delivering mental health services in prisons are offered.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2005

Learning to pass: sex offenders' strategies for establishing a viable identity in the prison general population.

This article endeavors to illustrate the realities of prison life for sex offenders and the means by which they attempt to establish viable identities and acquire a survivable niche in the prison general population, particularly when established identities and protective niches are put at risk by entry into a sex offender treatment program. Qualitative data was collected by repeatedly interviewing a cohort of sex offenders for 6 months as they completed a basic sex offender treatment program. The findings indicate a need to include consideration of treatment context in understanding the limits of treatment gain in prison-based programs.

Humans↗
PubMed2004

Factors affecting cervical screening uptake in prisoners.

Imprisoned women are at increased risk of cervical cancer but less likely to have been screened for this disease. There is very little information on the situation in prisons in the UK but this study indicates that, as anticipated, these women are less likely to have been screened in the last five years than women generally. Whilst there are no ethnic differences, it appears that women who had been in prison longer than three months were more likely to have had a smear in the last five years compared with those who had been in for three months or less (79.2% vs 37.5%, Chi-squared=9.7, p=0.002) suggesting that the prison health services had been able to use this opportunity to screen this disadvantaged population.

England↗
PubMed2004

Managing prisoners in theatres.

Dealing with the diverse healthcare needs of people in prison can be a very challenging role for a nurse. This article explores the care management issues which arise when caring for prisoners within a general hospital theatre environment. It is based on the author's experience working as a nurse in the operating theatre and in the prison environment--a 'unique environment that presents unique challenges'.

Communication↗
PubMed2006

Prevalence of mental disorders in French prisons for men.

BACKGROUND: Psychiatric surveys conducted in prison populations find high prevalence rates, but diagnoses may be difficult in this particular context. None of these surveys have been conducted in France. METHODS: 800 incarcerated male were sampled at random. Each prisoner was interviewed by a group of 2 clinicians, at least one of them being a senior psychiatrist. One of the clinicians used a structured clinical interview which generated DSM IV diagnosis (MINI plus); the second completed the procedure with an open clinical interview. RESULTS: Prevalence rates for a diagnosis given independently by both clinicians and for a consensual diagnosis were respectively: 3.8% (6.2%) for schizophrenia, 17.9% (24%) for major depressive disorder, 12.0% (17.7%) for generalized anxiety and 10.8% (14.6%) for drug dependence. CONCLUSION: Psychiatric diagnosis can be difficult to interpret in prison, especially using traditional standardized interviews. The approach proposed here, with good reliability and closer to a day-to-day clinical practice, yields high prevalence rates.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Elderly offenders. A study of age-related factors among custodially remanded prisoners.

Among custodially remanded male prisoners from Greater London and its surrounds, in 1979-1980, nearly 3% (63 men) were aged 55 or over, about one third of these being over 65. More than 40% were detained on theft charges and few for more serious offences, although serious violence was not unknown and nearly one-fifth of those 65 or over were subsequently convicted of non-violent sexual assaults. Like their younger counterparts, less than one-fifth of those aged 55 or over appeared to be first-time offenders. About half of the men of 55 or over had active symptoms of psychiatric disorder on entering the prison and about half had some form of physical disorder, twice the rates for those under 55. Psychosis and alcoholism were the major psychiatric problems; 27% were alcoholics, to the extent of showing withdrawal symptoms on or soon after entering prison. Schizophrenia was less common than the younger age groups, but affective psychosis more so; 37% of the older men had a major functional psychosis. Two-thirds of the 55-64 age group and over three-quarters of the over 65s were without an address; most of both groups were personally isolated.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Diversion from custody. II: Effect on hospital and prison resources.

Two hundred and one referrals to a psychiatric assessment scheme based at two inner-London magistrates' courts were followed up to assess the effect of the scheme on hospital and prison resources. Of the 65 hospital admissions, 50 (77%) derived some or marked benefit from psychiatric treatment. Those who did badly were more likely to be of no fixed abode, and had higher rates of criminality and previous compulsory admission to hospital. Absconding was the largest management problem; 30 (46%) of those admitted did so. Twelve months after admission, all patients except one had been discharged; 10 (15%) had been readmitted to hospital. The scheme generated an extra 21 (64%) hospital admissions per annum from the two courts, compared with the three years before its introduction. The saving in remand time to the prison was approximately double the increased admission time to hospital. However, the overall effect of early diversion on hospital and prison resources was small.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

The Bentham Unit: a pilot remand and assessment service for male mentally disordered remand prisoners. I: Clinical activity in the first year, and related ethical, practical and funding issues.

BACKGROUND: Because of continuing concern regarding the inadequacy of existing NHS provision for mentally disordered remand prisoners, the Bentham Unit was commissioned as a pilot project to provide rapid assessment and, where appropriate, hospital admission for such prisoners from the former North West Thames catchment area. METHOD: Information is presented on the 150 referrals and 62 admissions in the first year of the service's operation. RESULTS: The service met the Reed Report targets for assessment time. Most of those referred were previously known to psychiatric services. The alleged offences were more serious than anticipated. Those admitted were transferred to appropriate services at the conclusion of their court cases, and remained in contact with services three months later. Waiting for the conclusion of court proceedings significantly prolonged the length of stay. Substantial cost transfers from the criminal justice system to the health system were evident. CONCLUSIONS: Adequate services for mentally disordered remand prisoners are entirely achievable; provision of such services is a resource issue, not a clinical problem.

Adult↗