On Capitol Hill: 'To Your Health'

In remarks to his colleagues on the floor of the House last February, Rep. Ted Strickland (D-Ohio) encouraged support for H.R. 2422, The Office of Correctional Health Act. His bill would establish an Office of Correctional Health within the Department of Health and Human Services to address the serious health conditions within our nation's correctional facilities.

In his speech, he cites statistics that indicate that substance abuse, mental illness, AIDS and tuberculosis are prevalent in the prison population. He stated that since many inmates lacked good access to health care services before their incarceration, they are more likely to arrive at jails and prisons with chronic illnesses and infectious diseases.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention, the pervasiveness of infectious disease is extremely high among inmates. The incidence of AIDS is five times that of the general population and tuberculosis is estimated to be four to 17 times higher in the incarcerated population. Strickland told his counterparts: "This high incidence of infectious disease among inmates threatens the health and lives of thousands of dedicated corrections officers and staff members who work in prisons and jails across America. All of these alarming statistics contribute to the need for the establishment of an Office of Correctional Health within the Department of Health and Human Services.

"With a growing diverse and medically complex population in America's prisons and jails, we must ensure that inmates are provided the health care they need, that staff members operate in a safe working environment, and as a result, that public safety is enhanced."

To add your voice to Strickland's, call your representative and ask him or her to sign onto the bill as a co-sponsor.