CDC Updates Guidance for Incarcerated Individual Healthcare

Screening and treating incarcerated individuals for traumatic brain injuries is now a recommended best practice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Health care worker takes a patient's blood pressureThe prevalence of infections, diseases, and injuries among people who are incarcerated is higher than in the general population. As such, the CDC tracks data and resources for healthcare professionals working in correctional settings. In accordance with new findings regarding the prevalence of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in detained individuals, CDC recommendations for health care workers in detention centers have been updated. Experts are encouraging an increased focus on screening for and treating individuals with a TBI, or complications that could arise from a one.

According to researchers, almost half of detention center populations have suffered from a TBI which can make justice-system involvement more likely. Individuals suffering from the complications of a TBI are more likely to be involved in activities and behaviors that would bring them into contact with the criminal justice system such as substance misuse, difficulty controlling anger, uninhibited and impulsive actions, and trouble adhering to treatment plans. Additionally, mental health challenges can arise from a TBI that further compound the barriers an incarcerated individual faces. These conditions, such as severe depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts are also correlated with higher rates of recidivism.

From the article:

Research in the United States and from other countries suggests that almost half (46%) of adults and about 1 in 3 juveniles in correctional or detention facilities have a history of TBI.

Taken together, these multiple health conditions and social determinates of health contribute to the health disparities found in this population and their communities. This research comes at a time when mental and behavioral health needs have seen a dramatic increase across most populations. This puts even greater pressure on the correctional health care system that needs to manage and adapt to this demand.

The 2024 MACo Winter Conference panel, “Healthcare Hurdles: The Evolving Needs of Incarcerated Individuals,” will explore how the needs of incarcerated individuals are changing in Maryland specifically. MACo’s Winter Conference, “Anticipate, Adapt, Achieve: Thriving Through Turbulent Times,” will be held at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Hotel in Cambridge, MD, on December 11-13, 2024. 

Learn more about MACo’s Winter Conference: