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Abstract: 

Correctional health care is a smaller, contained version of the larger American health care system. Physical health care is separate from behavioral health care and both are practiced independently of one another in spite of the general agreement that the provision of all health care should be holistic and address the needs of the patient in a comprehensive fashion. Most jails and prisons are not designed or built with inmate health care needs in mind, but with the rising numbers of mentally disordered entering the correctional system, coordinating of care is increasingly essential, both for inmates and for the custodial and care staff responsible for their well-being. This article comprehensively examines ways that health and mental health care can and should be connected.

Keywords: Medical and psychiatric co-occurrence; aging inmate population; substance use disorders; addressing fragmentation of health services

Affiliations:  1: Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.