AJPH -- eLetters for Wilper et al., 99 (4) 666-672

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RESEARCH AND PRACTICE:
Andrew P. Wilper, Steffie Woolhandler, J. Wesley Boyd, Karen E. Lasser, Danny McCormick, David H. Bor, and David U. Himmelstein
The Health and Health Care of US Prisoners: Results of a Nationwide Survey
Am J Public Health 2009; 99: 666-672 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

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Prior Reports of Medical Problems among Inmates: Anne C. Spaulding, Victoria McCallum (9 May 2009)

Prior Reports of Medical Problems among Inmates 9 May 2009

Anne C. Spaulding,
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology
Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University,
Victoria McCallum
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Re: Prior Reports of Medical Problems among Inmates

ASpauld{at}emory.edu Anne C. Spaulding, et al.

In the article “The Health and Health Care of US Prisoners: Results of a Nationwide Survey”, (1) the authors state, “We are not aware of any study analyzing the prevalence of common chronic conditions or of access to medical and psychiatric care among the incarcerated population as a whole.” We believe that readers should be aware of L.M. Maruschak’s 2006 study, “Medical Problems of Jail Inmates,”(2) and her 2008 report “Medical Problems of Prisoners.” (3) D.J. James and L.E. Glaze coauthored a study “Mental Health Problems of Prison and Jail Inmates” in 2006.(4) These three publications presented analyses of data from two Bureau of Justice Statistics surveys, “Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities, 2004” and “Survey of Inmates in Local Jails, 2002”, which are the two data sources used in the current study.
Also, it would be helpful for the authors to clarify whether the figure they cite of twelve million annual releasees from jails and prisons represents unique persons, or reflects some persons passing through institutions more than once in a one year period.
Anne Spaulding MD MPH and Victoria McCallum MPH
1. Wilper AP, Woolhandler S, Boyd JW, Lasser KE, McCormick D, Bor DH, Himmelstein DU. The health and health care of US prisoners: results of a nationwide survey. American Journal of Public Health 2009;99(4):666-72.
2. Maruschak L. Medical Problems of Jail Inmates. Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin. November 2006, NCJ 210696. Available at: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/mpji.pdf. Last accessed 2 January 2007.
3. Maruschak LM. Medical Problems of Prisoners. Bureau of Justice Statistics Report. April 2008, NCJ 221740. Available at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/html/mpp/mpp.htm. Last accessed 3 April 2009.
4. James DJ, Glaze LE. Mental Health Problems of Prison and Jail Inmates. Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin. Department of Justice. September 2006, NCJ 213600.