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inmates must work 18 hours in Tennessee to afford the copay for a medical visit, a new report from The Tennessee Justice Center reveals the extreme barriers to adequate medical care for prisoners. Below are excerpts from the report.
At Trousdale, 53% of inmates, or 1,299, tested positive for coronavirus.
At South Central Correctional Facility in Clifton, 81% of all inmates, or 1,144, tested positive for COVID-19.
After the first incarcerated person tested positive on March 23, 2020, Tennessee implemented mass COVID-19 testing for Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) staff and inmates in April.
As of December 14, 2021, there were 60 total deaths among TDOC prisoners, or 1 death out of every 360 prisoners.
There was 1 known case per every 3 prisoners, which was 74% higher than Tennessee overall.
Among TDOC staff, 1,546 individuals have been infected, and five have died.
14.5% of men and 31% of women in jail have serious mental illness compared to 5% in the general population.
Suicide is the leading cause of death in jails and prisons, accounting for nearly half of deaths during incarceration from 2000-2016.
40% of jail deaths occur within the first week of incarceration.
67% of the prison population has substance use disorder, compared to 38% in the general population.
Only 15% of those who need treatment receive it while incarcerated.
In Tennessee, inmates are charged a $3.00 medical copay for physician visits, medication, and other health needs: these copays are paid by inmates who earn 17 cents an hour, meaning they would have to work for nearly 18 hours to afford a medical visit.
20% of state inmates, and 68% of local jail inmates did not receive a medical examination while incarcerated.
Above: A graphic depicting that only 15% of people received care in Tennessee prisons.
