Correctional Health Resources

Health education materials

HIV

• HIV Risk and Prevention – Contains resources that provide information on the various risk behaviors and various prevention methods that can be utilized to reduce the risk of transmitting HIV, including a poster on HIV and Injecting Drugs 101.
• HIV Treatment: The Basics – Find basic information on HIV treatment that can be used to develop education material.
• HIV Fact Sheets – These HIV fact sheets provide data about how HIV affects specific populations in the United States and information about HIV risk behaviors, prevention tools, testing, and more.

Viral hepatitis

• Viral Hepatitis Resources Center – Here are various fact sheets and other resources for health professionals, patients, and national education campaigns. This includes fact sheets for different populations.
  • Hepatitis A Public Resources
  • Hepatitis B Public Resources
  • Hepatitis C Public Resources

Sexually transmitted diseases

• STD Fact Sheets– Contains basic fact sheets (plain language for the public) and detailed fact sheets for physicians and individuals with specific questions about sexually transmitted diseases. This information can be used to develop educational materials.
• National Network of STD Clinical Prevention Training Centers (NNPTC) – This page provides links to a group of CDC-funded regional centers created in partnership with health departments and universities. The centers develop, disseminate, and evaluate training and training assistance to improve STD care at the clinical provider, healthcare organization, and system levels.

Tuberculosis / Latent tuberculosis infection

• TB Prevention and Control in Correctional and Detention Settings – A page with data and statistics on TB and people living in correctional facilities in the United States.
• About Tuberculosis – Information on the diagnosis and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis.
• What You Need to Know About Tuberculosis Fact Sheet – Provides basic information on the transmission, symptoms, testing, and treatment of tuberculosis.

Lice and scabies

• Typhus – Learn about the types, causes, spread, and treatment of Typhus. Includes information specific to health care providers.
• Bartonella – A page on information on the types, causes, spread, and treatment of Bartonella.

Traumatic brain injury

• Traumatic Brain Injury in Prisons and Jails: An Unrecognized Problem – Many people in prisons and jails are living with traumatic brain injury (TBI)-related problems that complicate their management and treatment while they are incarcerated. This handout includes information on TBI-related problems that may affect people with TBI in correctional and detention facilities and strategies to help support these individuals.

Other resources

• MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine) – An online health information resource for patients and their families and friends.
• National Prevention Information Network (CDC) – An information and resource platform connecting public health partners through collaborative communication and innovative technology solutions for HIV, viral hepatitis, STDs, TB, and adolescent and school health.

State, federal and organizational resources

In matters of correctional health, state, local, and territorial health departments typically have jurisdiction and provide public health guidance to correctional facilities (local, state, federal, and private) within their health district. Administering correctional health is complex and involves the cooperation of medical professionals, correctional facilities and staff, public health agencies, families, communities, advocates for persons who are incarcerated, and other state and federal partners.

There are many professional organizations, federal agencies, and international organizations dedicated to improving health outcomes for persons who are incarcerated. Use the resources below to get more information about some of these organizations, national statistics, policy guidance, and best practices related to correctional health.

State and federal organizations

• State & Territorial Health Departments: Links to the websites of health departments in all 50 states, 5 territories, 3 freely associated states, and the District of Columbia which can be used to find health department contact information for your jurisdiction.
• Federal Bureau of Prisons – Female Offenders: Resources and information about women who are incarcerated in the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
• National Criminal Justice Reference Service: Funding opportunities, recent publications, online resources, and upcoming events from the U.S. Department of Justice.
• National Institute of Corrections: Information about cooperative agreements, training, and events for line staff, administration, and researchers in tribal, local, state, and federal corrections agencies.
• National Institute of Justice: Articles, awards, publications, and multimedia events related to corrections.
• National Institute on Drug Abuse – Criminal Justice: Articles, research topics, training opportunities, and clinical resources related to substance use disorder and incarceration.
• Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance: What the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance is doing to reduce violent crime, create safer communities, and reform our Nation's criminal justice system.
• Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention: Describes priorities for OJJDP, including serving children in their communities and a 2022 national report for Youth and the Juvenile Justice System.
• Office of National Drug Control Policy: Learn more about our Nation's drug control policy.
• Office of The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation: Incarceration and Reentry: Reentry information including reports on incarceration and reentry from ASPE.
• Office of Tribal Justice: DOJ responses to requests from Tribal leaders for Indian country-specific legal and policy matters.
• SAMHSA GAINS Center for Behavioral Health and Justice Transformation: Information about how Gather, Assess, Integrate, Network, and Stimulate (GAINS) works to expand access to services for people with mental or substance use disorders who come into contact with the adult criminal justice system.
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) – Correctional and Juvenile Justice: Resources and information about people who are incarcerated and have mental and substance use disorders.
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Health Services Corps: Information about ICE Health Services Corps that provides health care services to detained individuals involved in immigration proceedings.

Accreditation, academic and professional organizations

• Academic Consortium on Criminal Justice Health: Conference information, industry news; ACCJH advances health research, training and care for justice involved populations.
• Academy of Correctional Health Professionals: A professional organization that provides educational and professional development tools to health care professionals working in the field of correctional health care.
• American College of Correctional Physicians: Educational opportunities and conferences for correctional physicians.
• American Correctional Association – Correctional Health Care: Information on Health Care Accreditation, Health Certifications, and resources including clinical guidelines, conferences, and articles.
• American Jail Association: Resources for jail professionals to enhance public safety through online and inhouse trainings, webinars, and workshops.
• American Probation and Parole Association: Training opportunities and resources for probation and parole officers.
• Center for Health and Justice Transformation: How Rhode Island is working on Decriminalization, Criminal Justice Planning, and Reentry.
• Health Through Walls: What is being done with prisons in low-resource countries to prevent, identify, and treat infectious diseases, particularly HIV, AIDS, tuberculosis, Hepatitis C and COVID-19.
• International Corrections and Prisons Association: Resources for corrections professionals, including conferences, by a Global Corrections Community for professionals across the globe.
• National Commission on Correctional Health Care, Inc: How NCCHC can support and improve the quality of health care in jails, prisons, and juvenile facilities.
• National Disability Rights Network: Information on how NDRN is working to improve conditions in correctional institutions and during the re-entry process that address disability-related issues.
• National Sheriffs' Association: Educational opportunities and conferences for sheriffs, their deputies, chiefs of police, and others in the field of criminal justice.
• Prison Policy Initiative: Multiple publications, data in various formats, including numbers of incarcerated people in each state as of 2020 from each county, city, and ZIP code.
• United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime: Press releases and publications about human trafficking, women in justice, and COVID-19 response policy documents and research briefs.
• World Health Organization Prisons and Health EURO: Information on networking opportunities and how to ensure prevention and control of COVID-19 in prisons and other places of detention.

Research regulations

Research studies in correctional settings can advance legislation, policies, and practices that improve health interventions and outcomes. Protections and ethical considerations must be met to conduct research among people who are justice-involved. The resources below can inform researchers about how to conduct research ethically and responsibly among persons who are incarcerated.

Government agencies

• CDC Regulatory and Ethical Codes
• HHS Prisoner Research FAQs
• NIH Guidance on Research Involving Prisoners

Related publications

• Ethical Considerations for Research Involving Prisoners
• Institute of Medicine (IOM) Report Brief on Ethical Considerations for Research Involving Prisoners