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Why is it a Public Health Issue?

Incarceration is a public health crisis. There are approximately 2.3 million incarcerated in the United States. The issue of health inequity persists in incarcerated populations as they are more likely to have chronic health problems leading to a failing quality of life. Incarceration has been shown to shorten life expectancy. An analysis of New York state parole data showed that each year in prison can take off 2 years of someone’s life. This problem of health inequity can be attributed to the lack of healthcare access in prison systems. A glimpse into the health problems experienced at a higher rate in incarcerated populations can be  seen below.

COVID-19 and Incarceration: Overlapping Pandemics

COVID-19 has greatly impacted the entire United States; however the population of the U.S., which has 25% of the world’s prison population, has not been impacted equally. Prisons and jails have reported greater positivity rates for COVID-19, have little to no ability to social distance or adequately sanitize, and have densely packed populations that are often at greater risk for serious complications. One study showed that COVID-19 case rates for prison populations was 5.5 times higher than the U.S. population. As shown in the figure below, despite the rising cases of COVID-19 in the U.S., county jails have failed to reduce the populations of incarcerated people. One inmate was sure he would die during his 10 days in San Diego’s Central Jail and lived in fear of contracting COVID-19 because he was a high-risk population. To read more about his story, check out the article by Kelly Davis in The San Diego Union-Tribune.

For resources specifically related to COVID-19 and incarceration, check out this list of resources from the Pandemic of Incarceration luncheon put on by two Carleton classes in Fall 2020.

The Impacts of Incarceration are Intergenerational

Incarceration does not only affect the individual who undergo the judicial system; its effects are seen in families and communities as well. They are often regarded as hidden victims. They are often hidden from the main narrative and receive little support and space for their voices to be heard. The children of incarcerated caregivers have higher instances of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), often resulting in worse lifelong outcomes. (Please check out our other page on ACEs.) In Minnesota, programs like Faribault Youth Investment have been working to improve the lives and livelihoods of children, and allowing them to share their experiences with the carceral system. This organization has recently published the Children of Incarcerated/Justice-Involved Parents Summary and advocates to improve youth outcomes by targeting key stakeholders in this issue. Other organizations in Rice County, Minnesota, such as the Northfield Union of Youth, often work directly with children with incarcerated caregivers and provide them with a safe space to amplify their voices on this issue because the youths are the experts.

Incarceration & Racial Inequity

The criminal justice system also perpetuates racial disparities as Black Americans are incarcerated at 5 times the rate of whites. This trend is similar for youth incarceration as Black youth are 5 times more likely to be incarcerated and Native American youth are 3 times more likely to be incarcerated than white youths. For these and other statistics on incarceration and race, check out this report from The Sentencing Project.

The racist history of incarceration bleeds into the present, with Black Americans being disproportionately arrested, charged, and punished by the carceral system compared to other racial groups. This holds true across all ages and genders of Black Americans. See below graphic for the incarceration rates of Black men versus White men, by age.

To learn more about one key time period in the U.S. around race and incarceration, watch the following video of a commercial that helped start the “tough on crime” era in the 1980’s.

Incarceration & Homelessness

Incarceration and homelessness are deeply connected. As shown in the graph below, people who have been part of the carceral system are more likely to experience homelessness. This likelihood increases for women and people of color. Those who experience unsheltered homelessness are also more likely to interact with the judicial system. As described in this page, homelessness is another public health issue. These two very important public health often go hand-in-hand so it is important to understand this connection and its ties to systemic racism to implement better strategies for re-entry, access to stable and safe homes, and better safety-nets for formerly incarcerated people.

Prison Labor: Exploitation

The prison-industrial complex is more ingrained in American society than people may think. As companies have come under fire for unsafe working conditions, unfair wages, and lack of sanitation during the COVID-19 pandemic in particular, many have continued to rely on prison labor to produce mass-market products. Below is a list of several common household brands from companies that use prison labor. Want to know more? See how the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the need for prison labor reform, and how prison wages are unlivable, even for prisoners, often depriving incarcerated people of healthcare.

Conclusion

Prison and incarceration are public health issues. The fact that many Americans see the primary goal of prison to be punishment instead of rehabilitation plays into a feedback loop where incarcerated individuals can often never successfully re-enter society. For an extended reading on the health impacts of incarceration, check out this report from ReThink Health. 
While incarceration is a complex topic, with the resources outlined here, we hope that readers can see how incarceration, public health, racism, the COVID-19 pandemic, and other issues all intersect today in American society.

Website created by Kano Amagai and Maya Rogers, February 2021