Monday, May 08, 2006

Facts & Figures

[Posted by ClinkShrink]

While studying for the recertification exam I came across some interesting relevant facts and figures. In a 1990 mortality study of Maryland prisoners, male inmates had a 39% lower all-cause death rate than the Maryland general population. Correctional deaths from AIDS and other causes have also dropped significantly over the past twenty years, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Not coincidentally, this decline occurred over the twenty years since the U.S. Supreme Court mandated medical care for prisoners in the landmark Estelle v. Gamble decision. Makes you wonder how much mortality rates could drop in free society if people made their minds up to commit to broader access to health care.

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