Life Expectancy and COVID-19 in Florida State Prisons

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Demography

Background:

• COVID-19 poses heightened risks to incarcerated populations.
• Previous studies focused on infection/mortality, not all-cause mortality impact.
• The effect of COVID-19 on prison all-cause mortality and life expectancy remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze COVID-19's impact on all-cause mortality in Florida's prison system.
• To compare mortality rates and life expectancy changes in incarcerated vs. general Florida populations.
• To quantify the specific contribution of COVID-19 to life expectancy decline in prisons.

Main Methods:

• Utilized mortality records from the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC).
• Acquired demographic and death data from FDOC, Census Bureau, and Florida Department of Health.
• Calculated age- and sex-standardized life table measures and used Arriaga's decomposition.

Main Results:

• Standardized mortality in the FDOC population rose 45% from 2019-2020, reducing life expectancy by 4.0 years.
• Florida's general population saw a 19% mortality increase and a 2.7-year life expectancy decline.
• The entire life expectancy decline in the FDOC population was attributable to COVID-19 mortality.

Conclusions:

• COVID-19 mortality drove a substantial increase in all-cause mortality within Florida's prison system.
• Life expectancy for incarcerated individuals in Florida decreased by 4 years, solely due to COVID-19.
• Recommendations include increasing vaccination, reducing prison populations, and enhancing data transparency to mitigate future risks.