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. 2005 Oct;95(10):1685-8.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2005.068502. Epub 2005 Aug 30.

Speaking out to improve the health of inmates. Interview by Vivienne Heines

Melanie Spector  1 , Steven Leifman
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Speaking out to improve the health of inmates. Interview by Vivienne Heines

Melanie Spector et al. Am J Public Health. 2005 Oct.

Abstract

Prison public health is becoming increasingly important to our society as growing numbers of men and women are incarcerated and later released. Numerous studies indicate that the prison population has a higher risk of certain infectious diseases and a higher rate of mental illness than the general population. Two community leaders, Dr Melanie Spector in the area of public health and Judge Steven Leifman in the judicial system, have addressed the vital issues of women's health and mental illness, respectively. Their efforts have had a positive impact both on prisoners themselves and on the overall health of their communities.

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Figure 1
Figure 1
Judge Steven Leifman’s efforts have reduced the recidivism rate from 70 to 19 percent in his jurisdiction.
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References

    1. US Dept of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics. Prisoners in 2003. Available at: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/p03.htm. Accessed March 9, 2005.
    1. Prisoner reentry: what are the public health challenges? Rand research brief, 2003. Available at: http://www.rand.org/publications/RB/RB6013. Accessed February 12, 2003.
    1. The Health Status of Soon-to-Be Released Prisoners: A Report to Congress. Vol 1. Chicago, Ill: National Commission on Correctional Health Care; 2002: 21–22.
    1. Feliner J, Abramsky S. Ill-Equipped: US Prisons and Offenders With Mental Illness. New York, NY: Human Rights Watch; October 2003.
    1. Freire P. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York, NY: Seabury Press; 1971.

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