Correctional Facilities: Special Population Challenges and Needs

This report delves into the complexities of special populations within correctional facilities, with a particular focus on the challenges faced by women. It highlights the high percentage of African-Americans in the prison population, the increasing involvement of women in drug-related crimes, and the mental health issues prevalent among female inmates. The report addresses critical issues such as discrimination, termination of pregnancy, and inadequate healthcare facilities, including the lack of proper sanitation and nutritional deficiencies. It emphasizes the need for improved healthcare, including mental health services and addressing substance use. The report also discusses the advantages of a diverse correctional staff in identifying disorders and fostering positive interpersonal relationships among inmates. References to relevant research studies support the arguments presented, offering insights into the health, social, and psychological needs of these vulnerable populations. This report underscores the importance of addressing these issues to improve the well-being and reformation of inmates within correctional settings.

SPECIAL
POPULATION
Special Population as discussed here are population in the correctional
facilities who are in need of special care and attention to treat their
physical and mental disorders along with reformation as a way of life.

SPECIAL POPULATION IN
CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES
• The treatment providers tend to identify the disorders related
with the child’s physical and mental health.
• They provide effective and special care to such inmates.
• 40.5% of the prison population is African-American
(Department of Justice 1998) even though they make up only
12.7% of the general US population (September 1998 census
data, US Census Bureau 1998).

WOMEN AS SPECIAL
POPULATION
• Women constituted 10.6% of jail population and 6.4% of
prison population (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1998).
• The percentage is increasing
• Women are more involved in heavy drug related crimes, and
often include polydrug and intravenous drug users, though,
alcoholism exists more in men.
• According to Mukherjee et al. 2014, women in correctional
facilities involve a high risk group for mental health problem
and adversely affecting the maternal and fetal health.

ISSUES RELATED IN CORRECTIONAL
FACILITIES
• Compelled to commit crime due to discrimination in jail
facilities (Richie 2018)
• Termination of Pregnancy in jail facilities (Kelsey et al. 2017)
• According Fleming, Blanc and Reid 2013, it has been stated
that the human immunodeficiency is an issue of concern in
the correctional facilities.
• The men and women, especially children suffer traumatic
brain injury and early life traumas in a prison population
(Colantonio, Kim and Akllen 2014)

DISCRIMINATION
• Women suffer from discrimination between the white and the
black, based on their color and also some are discriminated on
the basis of their looks and their religion.
• Such discrimination agitates the women to commit more
crimes even if such crime is committed for one’s own safety
and protection.

TERMINATION OF
PREGNANCY
• It is one of the major issues in the correctional facility
wherein, the facilities should be hygienic enough to take care
of the post termination care of the prison inmates.
• The methods and the surgical instruments used should be
sterilized and be clean enough to not cause any further
infection.
• Many women end up having miscarriage due to lack of food or
fights within the prison ending up in blows to the stomach.
• Such incidents should be avoided strictly because they form
serious threat to women mental as well as the physical health.

HEALTH OF THE WOMEN
• It has been argued that the women correctional facilities do
not have proper facilities to use bathrooms, or private areas to
tend to menstrual issues.
• It has also been argued that the prison inmates of the women
suffer from immunodeficiency due to lack of healthy food and
nutritious food.

NEEDS IN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES
• According to Colbert, Sekula and Zoucha 2013, women must
be immediately tend with health care needs post
incarceration.
• According to Ogloff and Tye 2013, the mental health needs of
the women should be immediately met with the health
practitioners.
• According to Drach, Maher and Braun 2016, substance use,
disordered eating and weight gain should be attended with
immediate help.

HEALTH CARE NEEDS
• The health care needs define that the women in the
correctional facilities are in need of the facilities with health
care.
• The mental health with trauma and depression should be met
with immediate care and attention.
• The physical and immuno disorder meaning that the eating
habits should be improved and the substance use or stress
eating should be alerted with special care and attention.

ADVANTAGES OF HAVING DIVERSE
CORRECTIONAL STAFF
• According to Shaw and Moffat 2013, the cognitive skills of the
correctional staff works as a detector for identification of disorder
and providing immediate help in the concern.
• According to Ludden 2013, the correctional staff are in charge of
developing interpersonal relationships among the inmates for their
better reformation and interaction between them.
• According to Copes, Hochstetler and Brown, 2013, it has been
explained that the inmates perception about harms and benefits of
prison can only be assessed with their interviews and by people stay
close to them on regular basis.

REFERENCES
• Colantonio, A., Kim, H., Allen, S., Asbridge, M., Petgrave, J., &
Brochu, S. (2014). Traumatic brain injury and early life
experiences among men and women in a prison
population. Journal of correctional health care, 20(4), 271-279.
• Colbert, A. M., Sekula, L. K., Zoucha, R., & Cohen, S. M. (2013).
Health care needs of women immediately post incarceration:‐
A mixed methods study. Public Health Nursing, 30(5), 409-419.
• Copes, H., Hochstetler, A., & Brown, A. (2013). Inmates’
perceptions of the benefits and harm of prison
interviews. Field Methods, 25(2), 182-196.

REFERENCES
• Drach, L. L., Maher, J. E., Braun, M. J., Murray, S. L., & Sazie, E.
(2016). Substance use, disordered eating, and weight gain:
describing the prevention and treatment needs of incarcerated
women. Journal of Correctional Health Care, 22(2), 139-145.
• Fleming, E. B., LeBlanc, T. T., & Reid, L. C. (2013). The status of
HIV prevention efforts for women in correctional
facilities. Journal of Women's Health, 22(12), 1005-1008.
• Kelsey, C. M., Medel, N., Mullins, C., Dallaire, D., & Forestell, C.
(2017). An examination of care practices of pregnant women
incarcerated in jail facilities in the United States. Maternal and
child health journal, 21(6), 1260-1266.
• Wulf-Ludden, T. (2013). Interpersonal relationships among
inmates and prison violence. Journal of Crime and Justice, 36(1),
116-136.