Becoming Institutionalized: Incarceration as a Chronic Health Condition

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Medical Sociology
• Public Health

Background:

• Incarceration is increasingly recognized as a prolonged experience with multifaceted health consequences.
• Mass incarceration disproportionately affects marginalized communities, exacerbating existing social inequities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine incarceration as a chronic condition encompassing social, biological, and psychological dimensions.
• To introduce and explore the concept of "institutionalization" as a framework for understanding the health impacts of prolonged imprisonment.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study utilizing interviews with 26 individuals incarcerated in Washington state prisons.
• Analysis of interview data to identify and define the concept of "institutionalization".

Main Results:

• "Institutionalization" emerged as a key concept describing a chronic, disabling state resulting from extended periods of incarceration.
• The study illustrates how social inequities inherent in mass incarceration become physically embodied as health inequities.

Conclusions:

• Institutionalization provides a critical lens for understanding how social harms translate into physical health problems within the carceral system.
• Addressing the health consequences of incarceration requires acknowledging and mitigating the long-term effects of institutionalization and its link to social inequality.