Health and Safety in Correctional Facilities: A Framework for Action to Overcome Obstacles

An overwhelming number of justice-involved individuals arrive in correctional settings with many complex physical and mental health conditions. Consequently, health care interventions are needed to stabilize and prevent further deterioration of these conditions. This opinion article discusses the significance of nursing care in correctional settings. The goal is to raise awareness and convince readers that this is an important issue to address. The article presents evidence from practice, court cases, and published research that supports the arguments and facts, with focus on the overarching correctional goals of public safety and rehabilitation, and the role of nurses in the achievement of those goals. Corrections and health care administrators must engage in meaningful and compromising ways to attain the correctional goals for the benefit of justice-involved individuals and the community at large.