Health provision and health professional roles under compromised circumstances: Lessons from Sierra Leone’s prisons

Jefferson, Andrew M.; Jalloh, Ahmed

doi:10.1177/1748895818787016

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 29 publications

(53 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This amongst constructive dialogue, public reporting and other advocacy efforts will constitute a first step toward tackling harmful systemic practices and the environmental injustices largely experienced by prisoners, and additionally affecting the working conditions of staff. There are already intense advocacy efforts by human rights organizations for prisoner health and broad based torture prevention initiatives encompassing right to health and adequate accommodation (Jefferson and Jalloh 2019).…”

Section: The Realities Of Environmental Standards Of Detention Beyond...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Using COVID-19 to Address Environmental Threats to Health and Leverage for Prison Reform in South Africa, Malawi and Zimbabwe

Hout¹

2022

Journal of Human Rights Practice

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Health rights of prisoners has long been a neglected political issue in Africa, where over one million people are detained, and almost half of whom are in pre-trial detention. African prisons constitute high-risk environments for communicable disease transmission. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the public health literature on African prison responses focused on preparedness as it related to testing capacity, quarantine practices and personal protective measures to mitigate disease spread. This article combines the right to health as narrowly defined by a prisoner’s right to access non-discriminatory equivalent health care, with a broader focus on assessing normative standards of detention. A comparative legal realist assessment of prison operations in South Africa, Malawi and Zimbabwe during COVID-19 state disaster measures is presented, focusing on the environmental determinants of health (ventilation, minimum floor space, water, sanitation, hygiene and nutrition) in prisons. It reveals the inherent tensions in ensuring a balance between respecting the fundamental rights of people living and working in prisons, ensuring adequate environmental health standards and mitigating disease during public health emergencies. Despite insufficient government resourcing and inadequate coverage of COVID-19 responses, few severe outbreaks were reported. This could be due to lack of testing, reporting or other factors (asymptomatic infection, acquired immunity). Prison congestion and unrest however affected prisoners and staff fearful of hazardous living and occupational health conditions. COVID-19 as public health emergency amplifies the need to address systemic deficits in infrastructure, resourcing and efficiency of criminal justice systems. Policy level and pragmatic recommendations for enhanced human rights practice are outlined.

show abstract

Section: The Realities Of Environmental Standards Of Detention Beyond...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Using COVID-19 to Address Environmental Threats to Health and Leverage for Prison Reform in South Africa, Malawi and Zimbabwe

Hout¹

2022

Journal of Human Rights Practice

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The project was undertaken during a time of great threat to health systems and prisons in the sub-Saharan Africa region. Prison health is a neglected political issue in Africa due to the continued prioritisation of prison security amid calls for advocacy for prisoner health and broad-based torture prevention initiatives (O’Grady, 2011; Jefferson and Jalloh, 2019). Research on prison health is also under developed in many countries in the region, as well as prison health surveillance (Mhlanga-Gunda et al , 2021; Van Hout and Wessels, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A multi-stakeholder situation assessment of COVID-19 disease preparedness and mitigation measures in a large prison complex in Malawi

Jumbe

Mhango²,

Muula³

et al. 2022

IJPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose Prisons in the sub-Saharan African region face unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Malawi, the first prison system case of COVID-19 was notified in July 2020. While prison settings were included in the second domestic COVID-19 response plan within the Law Enforcement cluster (National COVID-19 preparedness and response plan, July–December 2020), they were initially not included in the K157bn (US$210m) COVID-19 fund. The purpose of the study was to assess prison preparedness, prevention and control of COVID-19 in Malawi.. Design/methodology/approach A multi-method situation assessment of the COVID-19 response and human rights assurance of prisoners and staff was conducted in a large prison complex in Malawi. Qualitative research underpinned by the Empirical Phenomenological Psychological (EPP) framework consisted of interviews with key informants such as prison health personnel, senior prison staff, penal and judicial policymakers, government and civil society organisations (n = 14) and focus group discussions with consenting male (n = 48) and female prisoners (n = 48) and prison wardens (n = 24). Prison site visits were supported by detailed observations based on the World Health Organisation Checklist for COVID-19 in prisons (n = 9). Data were collected and analysed thematically using the EPP stepwise approach and triangulated based on Bronfenbrenner’s model conceptualising COVID-19 as a multi-level event disrupting the prison eco-system. Findings The results are presented as MICRO-MESO level individual and community experiences of incarceration during COVID-19 spanning several themes: awareness raising and knowledge of COVID-19 in prisons; prison congestion and the impossibility of social distancing; lack of adequate ventilation, hygiene and sanitation and provisions and correct use of personal protective equipment; MESO-MACRO level interplay between the prison community of prisoners and staff and judicial policy impacts; medical system COVID-19 response, infrastructure and access to health care; COVID-19 detection and quarantine measures and prisoner access to the outside world. Originality/value This unique situation assessment of the Malawian prison system response to mitigate COVID-19 illustrates the dynamics at the micro-level whereby prisoners rely on the state and have restricted agency in protecting themselves from disease. This is due to severe structural inadequacies based on low resource allocation to prisons leading to a compromised ability to prevent and treat disease; an infirm and congested infrastructure and bottlenecks in the judicial system fuelling a continued influx of remand detainees leading to high overcapacity. Multi-pronged interventions involving key stakeholders, with prison management and line Ministry as coordinators are warranted to optimise COVID-19 interventions and future disease outbreaks in the Malawian prison system.

show abstract

Moving beyond the politization of same-sex sexuality and leveraging right to health to counter inter-personal sexual violence and HIV in Malawi's prisons

Hout

Kaima²,

Mhango³

et al. 2022

Forensic Science International: Mind and Law

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Health provision and health professional roles under compromised circumstances: Lessons from Sierra Leone’s prisons

Cited by 3 publications

References 29 publications

Using COVID-19 to Address Environmental Threats to Health and Leverage for Prison Reform in South Africa, Malawi and Zimbabwe

Using COVID-19 to Address Environmental Threats to Health and Leverage for Prison Reform in South Africa, Malawi and Zimbabwe

A multi-stakeholder situation assessment of COVID-19 disease preparedness and mitigation measures in a large prison complex in Malawi

Moving beyond the politization of same-sex sexuality and leveraging right to health to counter inter-personal sexual violence and HIV in Malawi's prisons

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About