Prison Health Systems

Uses a fictional case study of an inmate in the Maryland prison to show the state’s penal health-care system.

Inmates in penal systems live in a world quite separated from that of the free public. Their access to services is, in many ways, quite simplified in that there is often only one provider of a particular type or range of services (i.e. one doctor for the prison) and, as no insurance policy covers expenses of health care for inmates, all costs for treatment come out of the governmental till (our only real form of socialized medicine). But, that till is limited and does not extend itself to heroic measures to preserve the lives of inmates. Some systems, however, do employ a variety of new and innovative techniques to bring a greater level of quality health-care to prisons while reducing costs. In this paper, a simulated inmate of the Maryland prison system will be created who will be the subject of a medical history, treatment plan and recovery prognosis. This simulation will take into consideration known elements of the health-care system and practices known to be in place within the Maryland penal system. The contraction, diagnosis, treatment, discharge planning and prisoner’s view on his condition (high blood pressure) will be included. It is the purpose then, to paint an accurate picture of the Maryland penal system’s health-care apparatus through a fictional patient.