Healthcare needs and treatment of women in prison in Serbia

Ilijić, Ljeposava (2024) Healthcare needs and treatment of women in prison in Serbia. In: Prison environment: a female perspective. Institute of Criminological and Sociological Research, Belgrade, pp. 275-289. ISBN 978-86-80756-68-4

Text ilijic.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (350kB)

Abstract

Adequate treatment, access to healthcare services, and maintenance of the health of all inmates in prison, regardless of gender, should not be treated as a secondary issue by correctional institutions, but rather as a matter of public concern, considering the serious health problems of the prison population. However, correctional systems are required to meet the healthcare needs of individuals in prison with limited resources and while facing significant organisational and ethical challenges (Elger, 2011). Incarcerated women have more specific health problems than men, which imposes additional constraints on correctional institutions and the provision of healthcare services (van den Bergh, Gatherer, Fraser, & Moller, 2011). Additionally, the specific needs of female inmates are often overlooked, and their specific health and social needs remain neglected (Augsburger, Neri, Bodenmann, Gravier, Jaquier, & Clair, 2022). In this paper, the author highlights female inmates as a specific and vulnerable category within the prison system. The aim of the study is directed towards assessing the overall quality of life from the perspective of the health condition of female inmates. Special focus is placed on the physical health of female inmates in the correctional facility for women in Požarevac, with a brief overview of their involvement in specialized treatments conducted in the mentioned prison. The basic results indicate that 55.6% of the sampled population confirmed the presence of illness at the time of the study, with mental disorders (including depression, anxiety, nervousness, stress disorder, etc.) being the most prevalent in 35.4% of the sample, followed by cardiovascular diseases at 27%. Regarding the assessment of quality of life, the highest percentage of respondents, 35.6%, neither rates their quality of life as good nor as bad, while 33% of respondents rated their health satisfaction as unsatisfactory. 86.4% of the respondents are not enrolled in any specialised programs. Among the respondents who are involved in specialised programs, the most represented are those enrolled in the addiction treatment program (detoxification program, methadone therapy, alcoholism recovery program), totalling four of them, which constitutes 57.1% of the inmates involved in any programs.

Actions (login required)

View Item