The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Public Health Journal

Prisoners and juvenile detainees in Australia experience profound disadvantages in health compared to the wider community, with markedly elevated rates of mental illness, substance dependence, chronic disease and engagement in health risk behaviours. The prison setting provides a unique opportunity to address these physical and mental health needs. The comprehensive approach needed to maximise this opportunity is reflected in the AMA’s updated Position Statement ‘Health and the Criminal Justice System 2012’. This statement highlights the linkages between the criminal justice system and public health, and indicates the critical policies and conditions that need to be in place to improve the health of some of the most disadvantaged segments of the Australian community.

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