COVID-19: The Case for Rethinking Health and Human Rights in Prisons
2021
This article published by the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) explores the health and human rights implications for incarcerated people and people living in detention centers, specifically amid the COVID-19 crisis. The article describes the prevalent health risks for incarcerated people prior to the pandemic, including increased risk of disease transmission and lack of adequate medical care, and details how severe overcrowding and lack of resources in prisons and detention centers worldwide have created a public health emergency for the spread of COVID-19 in these settings. The authors note that by July 2020, there were over 100,000 positive cases of COVID-19 in prisons and detention centers worldwide, with the rate of spread in U.S. prisons four times that of the general U.S. population. The authors urge governments, policymakers, and public health leaders to adopt strategies and prevention methods that ensure the rights, health, and safety of those in detention centers or prison facilities globally.
COVID-19: The Case for Rethinking Health and Human Rights in Prisons
Source:
Pont J et al. COVID-19: The Case for Rethinking Health and Human Rights in Prisons. American Journal of Public Health 2021; 111; 1081-1085. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306170.