Abstract
Background In NSW, prisoners with epilepsy are reviewed at the Comprehensive Epilepsy Service at Prince of Wales Hospital (POWH).
Ongoing care of prisoners is hampered by lack of access to prisoners' medical records.
Many attributes of the normal history taking, physical examination and investigations are impacted because of the prisoner's privacy and prison security concerns.
Methods: Review of the literature on epilepsy, prison regulations and health care of prisoners.
Results All prisoners have a full medical assessment on entry.
The prison population is heterogeneous in – age, gender, location and security arrangements.
13,000 prisoners are housed in 39 facilities throughout NSW – from maximum to minimum security.
There is an over-representation of indigenous, less-educated and lower socio-economic individuals within prisons.
Based on self-reported data, there is a high prevalence of drug dependence, chronic co-morbid medical and psychiatric illnesses.
Innovations in Norway reduced recidivism to 20%, suggesting an effective intervention.
Incarceration significantly impacts prisoners' families with ramifications, especially after release.
Research into prisoners is limited by prison rules and legislated restrictions.
Conclusion Research into prisoners’ health fails to match that within the community.
Short incarceration periods allows a small window of opportunity to monitor and improve prisoner health care.
Recidivism follows lack of intervention during incarceration.
Family health is under-researched - potentially affecting both family and prisoners post incarceration.
Outpatient hospital care requires greater access to medical records, held within the prison; hampering timely response during hospital outpatient appointments.
