Abstract The health actions directed to the population deprived of freedom in the Brazilian prison system make invisible important aspects of prison conditions and thus, corroborate the permanence of iniquities in prison units. The prison scenarios have several particularities that require the search for new ways of planning and executing health actions in these spaces. The objective was to characterize the prison environment and to know the perception of inmates about the health care available to them. That's a mixed, descriptive-exploratory study conducted in a prison in the state of Bahia. Secondary data were collected from the local nursing team and a survey on the structure of the services, as well as semi-structured interviews with fourteen interns. The testimonies were transcribed, analyzed through Content Analysis, originating thematic categories, discussed in the light of pertinent literature. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee, under the opinion 2,168,846. The data point to the existence of cell overcrowding, insalubrity, poor hygiene, unsatisfactory food and the physical structure of the prison unit. The inmates' reports reinforce that such elements contribute to the aggravation of already existing illnesses and to emergence of others disease. In addition, these conditions favour fragmented health care, which intensifies the vulnerability of inmates and delegitimizes their constitutional rights. The study made it possible to deepen the knowledge about the conditions of confinement of the prison population in the state of Bahia and instigates the development of new research on the subject. Furthermore, the results offer subsidies for the development of health actions within prisons. Key messages The study opened up spaces of voice for people in situations of incarceration and problematized the offer of health actions and services in prison, inviting professionals to rethink their practices. The study made it possible to deepen the knowledge about the conditions of confinement of the prison population in the state of Bahia and instigates the development of new research on the subject.