Infographics

Incarceration: A Public Health Crisis

Published on: August 29, 2023.

1 year spent in prison

corresponds with a two-year reduction in life expectancy

About this Data Insights

Nearly 5.5 million people are on probation, in jail, in prison, or on parole in the United States at any one time. This population is disproportionately plagued by chronic illnesses, substance use disorders, and mental health issues. As a result, there are significant public health concerns associated with mass incarceration in the US, reaching far beyond the time period that people are in the correctional system.

This infographic delves into the role incarceration plays in exacerbating inequality and provides solutions that may mitigate issues at the correctional system and community level.

Citations

Incarceration population in the United States: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Key Statistics: Total Correctional Population, May 2021

NOTE: Data from 2020

Rate of Black and Latino incarceration compared to White: The Sentencing Project, The Color of Justice: Racial and Ethnic Disparity in State Prisons, October 2021

Incarcerated women: Prison Policy Initiative, Women’s Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2023, March 2023

The correctional environment can have adverse effects on health

Corrections environment: Committee on Causes and Consequences of High Rates of Incarceration, Committee on Law and Justice, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, National Research Council, Board on the Health of Select Populations, & Institute of Medicine. (2013). Health and Incarceration: A Workshop Summary. National Academies Press (US).

NOTE: Background paper on prison environment and health

Health care costs inside correctional facilities: Vera, Health Care Behind Bars: Missed Appointments, No Standards, and High Costs, June 2022

Prisons have a constitutional right to health care in the United States: The Regulatory Review. Reforming Health Care for Patients in Prison, February 2022

Health care systems in jails & prisons were built for the male population: Vera, Women's Incarceration Rates Are Skyrocketing. These Advocates Are Trying to Change That, May 2021

Pregnancy in prison: Advocacy and Research on Reproductive Wellness of Incarcerated People, Pregnancy in Prison Statistics Project, 2017.

Note: This data was collected between 2016-2017, and includes national outcomes from 22 state Department of Corrections, all federal prisons, and 6 jails.

Chronic conditions & infectious diseases while incarcerated

Prevalence of ever having a chronic condition: Maruschak, L., Berzofsky, M., & Unangst, J. (2015). Medical problems of state and federal prisoners and jail inmates, 2011-12. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs.

Note: This data is based on the 2011 - 2012 National Inmate Survey and 2009 - 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

People with a history of incarceration have poorer physical health: Department of Health and Human Services, Healthy People 2030, Incarceration

Prevalence of infectious diseases: David Cloud. On Life Support: Public Health in the Age of Mass Incarceration. New York, NY: Vera Institute of Justice, 2014

HIV/AIDs - original study
Hepatitis C - original study
Tuberculosis - original study

Each year spent in prison corresponds with a two-year reduction in life expectancy: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Mass Incarceration Threatens Health Equity in America, 2018

People with a history of incarceration have a higher chance of getting an infectious disease: Department of Health and Human Services, Healthy People 2030, Incarceration

Mental health and substance use challenges of incarcerated people

Mental health and well-being: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Survey of Prison Inmates, 2016 - Indicators of Mental Health Problems Reported by Prisoners, June 2021

History of mental health problems
Prevalence of a history of mental health problems
Females compared to males

65% of the United States prison population has an active substance use disorder: National Institute on Drug Abuse, Criminal Justice DrugFacts, June 2020

Incarcerated individuals have higher rates of mental and substance use disorder: Butler et al., Mental Health, Substance Use, and Co-Occurring Disorders in Prisons, Psychiatric Services 73:7, July 2022

Recidivism rates: Zgoba et al., Criminal Recidivism in Inmates with Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders, Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, February 2020

Health and well-being in the reentry population

95% of people get released from prison: Rich JD, Chandler R, Williams BA, et al. How health care reform can transform the health of criminal justice-involved individuals. Health Aff (Millwood). 2014

More chronic conditions than entered: Acker J, Braveman P, Arkin E, Leviton L, Parsons J, Hobor G. Mass Incarceration Threatens Health Equity in America. Executive Summary. Princeton, NJ: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2019.

Original study

The reentry population has disproportionate rates of: “Prison And Jail Reentry And Health, " Health Affairs Health Policy Brief, October 2021.

Ability to secure basic needs after reentry: “Prison And Jail Reentry And Health, " Health Affairs Health Policy Brief, October 2021.

Incarceration affects the health of communities and families left behind: Gifford EJ. How Incarceration Affects the Health of Communities and Families. N C Med J. 2019

113 million adults have had an immediate family member incarcerated: Prison Policy Initiative, Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2023, March 2023

CMS announcement on new opportunity in Medicaid for incarcerated people: US Department of Health and Human Services, HHS Releases New Guidance to Encourage States to Apply for New Medicaid Reentry Section 1115 Demonstration Opportunity to Increase Health Care for People Leaving Carceral Facilities, April 2023

Improving the health of people during & after incarceration

During Incarceration

Improving the health of people during incarceration: Vera, Health Care Behind Bars: Missed Appointments, No Standards, and High Costs, June 2022

Reduce overcrowding
Asses copay costs
Create a standard for all prisons
Allow inmates to stay on government health care through incarceration

Improving the health of people during incarceration: Corrections 1, 4 trends in correctional healthcare, June 2019

Mental health
In-house and telehealth
Healthier food

Reproductive care while incarcerated: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Reproductive Health Care for Incarcerated Pregnant, Postpartum, and Nonpregnant Individuals, July 2021

Call for more independent research and real-time data: Health Affairs, Incarceration Is A Health Threat. Why Isn’t It Monitored Like One?, October 2021

Reentry

Reentry: “Prison And Jail Reentry And Health, " Health Affairs Health Policy Brief, October 2021.

This infographic was reviewed by Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine.