Delivery of health care to women inmates in a "Mega-Jail"

Delivery of Health Care to Women Inmates at a “Mega-Jail”
Background & Rationale:                                                                                                                                 Comprising approximately 12% of the total inmate population, the number of women in American jails increased by nearly 50% between 1995 and 2002. Women are more likely than male inmates to use drugs, be undereducated, unemployed, and victims of abuse.  There are 8 times as many African American as White women in US jails.  And as of 2002, approximately 250,000 children had been left behind while their mothers were behind bars (McCampbell, 2005).
Women’s medical and psychosocial needs while incarcerated require a disproportionate share of resources, particularly during pregnancy  (NCCHC, 2005).                                                                                                                            

During the 1980’s, a series of class action lawsuits was brought on behalf of female inmates in the US. (Parker, 2004:278).
One such case, Jones v Dyer in 1986, concerned the poor care received by pregnant women at the Santa Rita Jail.  Located in Alameda County, California, Santa Rita is the fifth largest jail in the U.S., housing approximately 4,000 inmates, 500 of which are women. As a result, a model women’s health program was developed, featuring coordination of care for high risk pregnancies and a system to track and treat cervical dysplasia.
Purpose:
To review methods of practice, outcomes and lessons learned, through experience with the Santa Rita Jail Women’s Health Program.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of the session, participants will:
Describe best practices for providing women’s health care in correctional facilities,
Discuss related experiences and applications to one's own practice
References
McCampbell, Susan W. (2005). Gender-responsive strategies for women offenders. American Jails 19 (4) 39-46.
National Commission on Correctional Health Care (2005) Position Statement: Women's Health Care in Correctional Settings: http://www.ncchc.org/resources/statements/womenshealth2005.html
Parker, Kelly (2004-5). Pregnant women inmates: evaluating their rights and identifying opportunities for improvements in their treatment. Journal of Law and Health. (19) 259-295.