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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Diane Hatton, RN, APRN, BC, DNS and Anastasia Fisher, RN, DNSc. Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, University of San Diego, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA 92110, 619-260-7481, hattondc@aol.com

The past twenty-five years have witnessed an unprecedented increase in the number of incarcerated women worldwide. Incarcerated women are often poor, have histories of homelessness, mental illness and substance use, physical and sexual abuse, and frequently return to jail or prison after their first incarceration. Female rates of incarceration reflect ethnic/racial disparities in the US with African-American and Hispanic women incarcerated at disproportionately higher rates than their white counterparts. These trends are mirrored in Australia, Canada, and the UK and are particularly alarming given the negative impact of incarceration on the health disparities experienced by women of color. This paper reports on the work of a multidisciplinary, multinational network of scholars/researchers, advocates, and policymakers from Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US. Based in the traditions of pragmatism and participatory action research (PAR), the first phase of this project received funding from the Rockefeller Foundation with a meeting at their Study and Conference Center in Bellagio, Italy. The network's initial focus includes a comparative analysis of international health policies and their impact on women prisoners. The project's overall goal is to further develop this global network of individuals committed to reducing avoidable and unfair differences in the health status of women prisoners through research, knowledge dissemination, and activism.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• List five common health problems experienced by women prisoners.
• Describe at least two health policies that impact women prisoners in Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US.
• Discuss a global plan for reducing avoidable and unfair differences in the health status of women prisoners.

Keywords: Prisoners Health Care, Women's Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation