Public Health Practice Behind Bars

Abstract

Prisons are the unchallenged institution of punishment in contemporary society. They have replaced a more diverse range of institutions, such as the asylum, the workhouse, and the borstal. In contrast to these other institutions, prisons continue to grow. Incarceration is an institution of "unequal power, " between the dominant social structure and the individual who is contained within. By its nature a coercive institution, operating under the auspices of the state, framed in a paramilitary mold, the modern prison should function within a human rights and international legal framework. Apart from the ethical and philosophical issues implicit in this "relationship" the health consequences of incarceration can be extreme, not only on the individual, but also on the community from which the prisoner comes and will return. Public health practices can contribute to the safer conduct of custodial practices and better understanding of the impacts of mass incarceration on community safety.