23 Incarceration
Riley Sutton
Incarceration within the United States has increased in alarming rates from 1980 to 2020. The rates of incarceration have more than tripled during this time and peaked in 2008 at 2.3 million people in prisons. (Pettit and Gutierrez, 2018). That is roughly 1 in 100 adults in the United States behind bars when observing the countries’ population in 2008. The United States’ rapid increase in incarcerations does not come from increased crime rates, it is primarily due to sentencing laws and policies. There are currently over 2 million people nationwide confined in federal, state, local and tribal systems. Of this staggering number of people incarcerated, over 90% of them are men (Wagner & Sawyer, 2022). The individuals that are incarcerated within the United States face a huge disadvantage compared to the rest of the population, with nearly 65% of the entire prison population has a substance use disorder (Abo et al., 2021). A majority of this population are more likely to face mental and physical health challenges, higher suicide rates, and family issues.
Incarceration refers to being confined in a jail or prison. Police officers and other law enforcement have the ability to arrest and confine individuals who are suspected of committing crimes or violating laws. Those put in jail are usually held there until their trial date, unless they can afford bail. If someone is found to be guilty, they are sentenced to stay at a prison and serve their time. The harshness of the living conditions can vary depending on the location and seriousness of the incarceration. Regardless of where they are held, these places are not comfortable conditions for anyone. Life is very restricted within incarcerated settings, preventing very little contact with others, especially outside of the institution. This harsh lifestyle and confinement can lead to many different health disparities that can last the rest of their life.
This image depicts the large increase in the number of
incarcerations within the United States from 1920-2020
“U.S. Incarceration rate since 1925” by DvidMCEddy is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Physical Health Issues
HIV is a huge issue that is commonly found within incarcerated populations. In the United States, HIV infection rates for incarcerated persons are about 6 times greater than the general population (Feral et al., 2019). Many of those infected with HIV simply do not know that they have the infection. According to the CDC, before 2007, HIV testing for inmates was only done by request, clinically indicated, or by court order. Since 2010, it has been an opt-out procedure offered to inmates. This means that doctors test all inmates for HIV unless an inmate specifically denies testing (2011). The COVID-19 pandemic has also significantly impacted those behind bars more than the general public. This SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak was devastating world-wide regardless of location, age, and race. However, d