In France, 188 French prisons accommodated 66,270 detainees in 2015. Among them, many suffer from psychiatric or communicable diseases, addiction to alcohol and hard drugs … However, many do not benefit from adapted care.
No study on medical care in prison for 10 years
IGAS experts used data dating from 2003 or 2004 to denounce these living conditions.
No study has looked at medical care in prison until then except in 2010 to report the incidence of HIV, HCV (hepatitis C virus) and drug substitution treatment prescriptions.
80% of inmates smoke cigarettes in their cells
According to their report, published on July 19, 80% of inmates smoke cigarettes in their cells. Also, 31% declare when they enter prison that they consume a significant amount of alcohol.
And 10% of prisoners are prescribed substitution treatments for hard drugs such as opiates.
More than half of the detainees suffered from a psychiatric illness
In addition, more than half of new prisoners have already suffered from psychiatric illness. One in twenty-five meets the criteria taken into account in schizophrenia and a third of the prison population suffers from depressive disorders.
In total, one in ten prisoners is referred for a psychiatric consultation after the clinical examination on entry into detention.
High risk of STI transmission
Finally, one in 100 people is HIV positive and 1 in 20 is diagnosed with viral hepatitis.
There is thus a high risk of transmission ofsexually transmitted infections (STI) during incarceration. A risk four times greater than outside the prison.
How to improve access to care in prison?
The solution for IGAS? It is necessary to increase the availability of doctors in cells. Indeed, if the prison population increased between 1997 and 2013, the number of nursing staff did not follow.
Also, it is important to put in place a new strategic action plan based on epidemiology and care adapted to the prison environment.
Finally, the activity of the Observatory of Prisoner Health Structures (OSSD) must be maintained. This entity aims to keep a collection of data useful to correct inequalities and lack of access to care in prison.
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– Access to healthcare in prison: the rights of prisoners not respected