Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2007 Jan;84(1):70-84.
doi: 10.1007/s11524-006-9115-9.

Deaths in the Cook County jail: 10-year report, 1995-2004

Seijeoung Kim  1 , Andrew Ting, Michael Puisis, Sergio Rodriguez, Roger Benson, Connie Mennella, Faith Davis
Affiliations

Deaths in the Cook County jail: 10-year report, 1995-2004

Seijeoung Kim et al. J Urban Health. 2007 Jan.

Abstract

The aims of this study were to describe causes of death during the 10-year period between 1995 and 2004 in a large urban jail in Chicago; to compare disease specific mortality rates between the jail population and the general population; to explore demographic and incarceration characteristics of the inmates who died in the jail by cause of death; and to examine gender difference in demographic characteristics, incarceration patterns, and causes of death. A total of 178 deaths occurring in the jail over a 10-year period (1995-2004) were reviewed. Age-adjusted disease-specific mortality rates were computed for the jail population and compared with the rates in the US general population. Cause of death, demographic variables, and incarceration related factors were retrieved from multiple computerized databases. Descriptive analyses were performed to examine demographic and incarceration-related patterns by cause of death and gender. Heart disease was the most frequent cause of death in the jail population, followed by cerebrovascular disease and suicide. Mortality rates for heart diseases, infectious/inflammatory conditions and suicide were higher for jail inmates than the general population. Black inmates accounted for the majority of deaths due to illnesses and homicide, and a much higher proportion of white and Hispanic inmates were involved in suicide deaths. Deaths due to drug overdose or withdrawal were disproportionately higher among female inmates compared with male inmates. Consistent review of mortality rates and causes of deaths in jail can be a useful tool to better understand health issues and needs of jail inmates. Surveillance of acute and chronic illnesses and strategic reengineering of jail health care is a key to quality improvement for incarcerated populations for whom the jail system becomes their primary care provider.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Length of stay at the time of death, percent deaths within gender.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Percent deaths by cause of death by gender.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. {'text': '', 'ref_index': 1, 'ids': [{'type': 'PMC', 'value': 'PMC1447330', 'is_inner': False, 'url': 'https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1447330/'}, {'type': 'PubMed', 'value': '12406810', 'is_inner': True, 'url': 'https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12406810/'}]}
    2. Hammett TM, Harmon MP, Rhodes W. The burden of infectious disease among inmates of and releases from US correctional facilities, 1997. Am J Public Health. 2002;92:1789–1794. - PMC - PubMed
    1. {'text': '', 'ref_index': 1, 'ids': [{'type': 'DOI', 'value': '10.1016/S1047-2797(01)00210-1', 'is_inner': False, 'url': 'https://doi.org/10.1016/s1047-2797(01)00210-1'}, {'type': 'PubMed', 'value': '11399449', 'is_inner': True, 'url': 'https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11399449/'}]}
    2. Wu ZH, Baillargeon J, Grady JJ, Black SA, Dunn K. HIV seroprevalence among newly incarcerated inmates in the Texas correctional system. Ann Epidemiol. 2001;11:342–346. - PubMed
    1. {'text': '', 'ref_index': 1, 'ids': [{'type': 'PubMed', 'value': '8416310', 'is_inner': True, 'url': 'https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8416310/'}]}
    2. Glaser JB, Greifinger RB. Correctional health care: a public health opportunity. Ann Intern Med. 1993;118(2):139–145. - PubMed
    1. Mumola CJ. Suicide and homicide in state prisons and local jails. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics; 2005. NCJ No. 210036. Available at: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/shsplj.htm. Accessed November 14, 2005.
    1. Anno J, Graham C, Lawrence JE, Shansky R. Correctional Health Care: Addressing the Needs of Elderly, Chronically Ill, and Terminally Ill Inmates. Washington, DC: National Institute of Corrections; 2004. NIC Accession No. 018735.

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources