Healthcare Accessibility and Utilization by Women in Indian Prisons

Prison healthcare assumes significance as prisons are characterized by disharmony between goals of penal and medical agenda. The present study aimed at understanding the healthcare delivery mechanisms across three prisons in the Indian state of West Bengal. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among 90 imprisoned women to analyze their experiences of accessing healthcare and assess their satisfaction with the treatment received. While 42.2 percent of the women perceived healthcare accessibility to be easy, 30 percent expressed satisfaction with the treatment received. A perceived deterioration of health post-imprisonment was found among 67.77 percent. The study revealed how prison environments and practices infiltrate healthcare delivery patterns and have direct implications for the health of women. The paper recommends the delivery of a holistic model of correctional healthcare that is sensitive to the gender-specific needs of women.