The Problem
The Hidden Cost: Reduced Life Expectancy
-Each year in prison reduces an individual’s life expectancy by 2 years.
-With over 2.3 million people incarcerated, mass incarceration has shortened overall U.S. life expectancy by 5 years. (Prison Policy Initiative)
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The Spread of Disease Behind Bars & Beyond
-Overcrowded prisons and jails accelerated the spread of COVID-19, not just inside correctional facilities but in surrounding communities. (Prison Policy Initiative)
A Threat to Public Health & Global Biosecurity
-The U.S. has the largest system of human imprisonment in the world, yet mass incarceration fails to deter crime and instead undermines national and global public health. (Health Affairs)
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Medical Issues within TDCJ
The concerns about substandard medical care within TDCJ are well known. The correctional health care system represents a partnership between Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Yet, TDCJ consistently has to request millions of dollars from Texas legislators only to continue to maintain substandard care. In a recent poll of our affected family members, medical care was the top concern (extreme temperatures were not included in that poll). At TPCA we constantly get reports and requests for assistance from family members and incarcerated individuals regarding inadequate or denied medical care. Many of these problems were exacerbated and highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic with Texas leading the nation in Covid deaths of both incarcerated individuals and officers (guards). Below are some graphs showing the shift in medical costs over the last ten years. Data for 2014 and 2015 is missing because it could not be sourced.
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