Benefits of a Department of Corrections Partnership With a Health Sciences University

Abstract

More than half of the state prisons in the United States outsource health care. While most states contract with private companies, a small number of states have reached out to their health science universities to meet their needs for health care of prisoners. New Jersey is the most recent state to form such an agreement. This article discusses the benefits of such a model for New Jersey's Department of Corrections and for New Jersey's health sciences university, the Rutgers University, formerly the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. The benefits for both institutions should encourage other states to participate in such affiliations.

A Call to Action: A Blueprint for Academic Health Sciences in the Era of Mass Incarceration

“…Some evidence of very positive health outcomes exists for selected facilities and systems in metabolic and infectious disease treatment. 59,60 Indeed, 40% of people are first diagnosed with a chronic disease during incarceration in a prison. 43 With respect to the interventions to improve care during the transition to community following release, the Transitions Clinic Network (a national network of medical homes for individuals with chronic diseases recently released from prison) is proving to be a very positive intervention to continue health care.…”

“…Academic health centers (AHCs) have much to offer correctional partners: expertise in evaluation, quality improvement, evidence-based practice, and implementation science. 56,58,59 Correctional care allows academic physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other health professionals to develop population health skills and may stimulate new approaches to community-based population health initiatives. While relatively few AHCs are currently working in this arena, the convergence of need, opportunity, and mission argue forcefully for more extensive commitments.…”

Inmate Health Care Provided in an Emergency Department

“…The ruling in Estelle v. Gamble stipulates that prison officials must not be indifferent to medical needs of inmates and that care is required if the medical need is serious (Posner, 1992). Many correctional facilities have outsourced medical care in order to improve the quality of health care for inmates while providing a cost savings to the facilities (Lafaive, 2004; Reeves, Brewer, DeBilio, Kosseff, & Dickert, 2014; Trestman, Ferguson, & Dickert, 2015). This is not surprising, as this socioeconomically underprivileged population presents with a cadre of complex medical issues for any health care system.…”

Decreased Mortality Rates of Inmates With Mental Illness After a Tobacco-Free Prison Policy

“…Rutgers implemented efficiencies and FIGURE 2. Average age at death of New Jersey Department of Corrections inmates with and without mental health-related special needs decreased the costs for providing general medical care and mental health care for the study period (17). We do not expect that the administrative change in health care provider accounted for the decreased mortality rate we found after the ban.…”