How Mass Incarceration Harms U.S. Health

The Conversation
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incarceration and health

Giving Compass’ Take:

• Thomas S. McDonald explains how mass incarceration in the United States harms public health as jailed individuals die at an appalling rate. 

• How can philanthropists tackle mass incarceration? How can funders improve the health of imprisoned persons? 

• Learn about the state of mass incarceration in the U.S.

The U.S. incarcerates a higher percentage of its citizens than any other country in the world.

There’s little doubt among researchers that mass incarceration is wreaking havoc on our society, in particular on people of color, LGBTQ and the poor. What’s often overlooked in this discussion is the damage that prisons and jails do to our health – from those who are incarcerated to their family members waiting at home to those who work in detention settings.

As researchers and advocates, we have studied mass incarceration issues and started discussions on the ethics of this practice. To us, the evidence is clear: Mass incarceration is a public health scourge in the U.S.

A majority of those who died were not convicted of any crimes and were being held pretrial, often because they were too poor to afford bail. Those awaiting trial in jail have nearly twice the mortality rate of people who have been convicted and are serving their sentence. This appears to be a testament to the stress associated with being held pretrial.

Even though incarceration often forces individuals to remain sober, being incarcerated generally exacerbates mental health disorders. Research has shown that those with mental illness and substance use disorders have better treatment outcomes outside of correctional facilities.

Read more about how incarceration impacts the health system in the U.S. by Thomas S. McDonald at The Conversation.

If you are looking for more articles and resources for North America, take a look at these Giving Compass selections related to impact giving and North America.

  • This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
    Click here for more.
    Five Things Nonprofits Want Donors to Know

    You want to make a difference through your giving, so you provide significant support to the nonprofit organizations that matter most to you. However, you may not truly know what those nonprofits need to do their best work. The power imbalance that exists between donors and nonprofits means important things are often left unsaid. At the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP), we’ve collected candid, anonymous feedback over 15 years from more than 100,000 nonprofit leaders that can help. Based on our research, here are five things that nonprofits want their donors to know but may not be telling them directly. 1. Understanding the needs of the constituents that nonprofits are serving is essential for donors and nonprofits alike. WHAT NONPROFIT LEADERS SAY: It is fundamental [for donors] to understand the needs of the people we’re serving because, otherwise, they cannot make informed decisions about the best priorities for where to spend their money. 2. Strong relationships between donors and nonprofits are grounded in understanding and openness. WHAT NONPROFIT LEADERS SAY: They form a true partnership with us….They truly care not just about the program they are funding but about the entire organization, and they want us to succeed. 3. Generous, unrestricted financial support best enables nonprofit leaders to strengthen their organizations. WHAT NONPROFIT LEADERS SAY: Unrestricted dollars would provide us with the ability to invest in our infrastructure: technology, staff development and retention, and advocacy. 4. Most nonprofits want to assess their performance so they can learn and improve, and they could use more support to do this. WHAT NONPROFIT LEADERS SAY: [The donor] is very interested in how, what, and how often we measure how we’re doing and [has] always been willing to fund endeavors related to data collection and analysis. 5. Providing support beyond money can help nonprofit staffs strengthen their skills, make important connections, and better pursue their missions. WHAT NONPROFIT LEADERS SAY: Provide knowledge of best practices and additional resources that are available to supplement the work [you] are funding. Read the full article about what nonprofits want donors to know by the Center for Effective Philanthropy.

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