Abstract
BackgroundMass incarceration has had an undeniable toll on childhood poverty and inequality, however, little is known about the consequences on pediatric health. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the health of pediatric patients with probable personal or family history involvement with the correctional system.MethodsA descriptive study was conducted using electronic health record data of 2.3 million youth (ages 0–21 years) who received care in a large Midwestern hospital-based institution from February 2006–2020. We employed a correctional-related keyword search (e.g. jail, prison, probation, parole) to locate youth with probable personal or family history involvement. Health characteristics were measured as clinician diagnostic codes.ResultsTwo percent of the total pediatric population had a correctional keyword in the medical chart (N = 51,855). This 2% made up 66% of all patients with cannabis-related diagnoses, 52% of all patients with trauma-related diagnoses, 48% of all stress-related diagnoses, 38% of all patients with psychotic disorder diagnoses, and 33% of all suicidal-related disorders within this institution’s electronic health record database – among other highly concerning findings.ConclusionsWe captured an alarming health profile that warrants further investigation and validation methods to better address the gaps in our clinical understanding of youth with personal or family history involvement with the correctional system. We can do better in identifying, and supporting families affected by the correctional system.
Highlights
The size and churn of the correctional system in the United States is staggering
While incarceration rates have slowly declined over the past decade (Kaeble & Cowhig, 2018), about 600,000 people are sentenced to prison, and 4.9
We know very little about the clinical health records of youth with personal or family justice-involvement because of inadequate cross sector collaborations and investigations
Summary
The size and churn of the correctional system in the United States is staggering. In 2016, alone, over 815,000 youth had contact with the juvenile justice system (Sickmund et al, 2020), and nearly 6.6 million adults were on probation or parole, or in jail or prison (Kaeble & Cowhig, 2018). We know very little about the clinical health records of youth with personal or family justice-involvement because of inadequate cross sector collaborations and investigations. While many youths have varying levels of personal or family contact with the justice system in the US, we know most about the health and well-being of incarcerated youth. Recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the health of incarcerated or previously incarcerated youth have revealed higher prevalence rates of self-harm, risky behavior, neurodevelopmental disabilities, infectious disease, adolescent morbidity, adolescent mortality, and psychiatric disorders (with anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders most common) compared to youth with no contact to the justice system (Beaudry et al, 2021; Borschmann et al, 2020; Livanou et al, 2019). The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the health of pediatric patients with probable personal or family history involvement with the correctional system
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