Ethical Issues of Inmate Healthcare

According to law, U.S. correctional facilities are required to provide their inmates medical care, but with health care costs rising uncontrollably, these facilities are attempting to develop new ways to reduce this financial burden while still meeting legal requirements, creating some ethical concerns in the process.

Current Inmate Healthcare

• Current health care for inmates requires that each pay a small fee, generally less than ten dollars, to have access to medicine and medical care in certain situations. These co-pays aid facilities in providing their inmates care, however many are divided on whether this is ethical treatment or not, as there are facts to support both sides.

Support

• These co-pays may reduce the abuse of appointments to obtain unnecessary medicines and lower spending due to examinations of frivolous complaints. Also, requiring inmates to use their own financial assets to obtain care may encourage personal responsibility both in and outside of prison.

Opposition

• Since many people find inmates to be indigent, making them pay for health care when they must already use their own money to buy any toiletries needed seems completely unreasonable. There is also concern that requiring inmates to provide their own payments may restrict medical access to those who need it but do not have appropriate funding. Without this care, minor problems could escalate into more severe problems such as spreading infectious diseases to staff and other prisoners.