Explain why inmates tend to have comparatively more medical issues than do other persons of their age in mainstream society.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

First, many offenders live unhealthy lifestyles prior to coming to prison, such as the use of tobacco, drug and alcohol use, subsistence on a poor diet, risky sexual behaviors, and so forth. This lifestyle tends to put them at risk for illness, fatigue, infection, and diminished immune system functioning. Further, many have sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases. Prison environments will tend to be clean for safety standards and provide enough food for basic subsistence; however, given the close contact of inmates, germs and illnesses pass quickly. Further, the psychological impact of prison life tends to affect the body’s physiological functioning. Lastly, the inmate population tends to cycle back-and-forth into and out of prison. As inmates leave prison, go back to their unhealthy lifestyles, and then return to prison, they bring with them their illnesses.