It takes a Village to care for an Inmate behind bars-A Call to Action

     In February, 2018 TOVA attempted to launch a pilot program to offer Sickle Cell consultations and trait screenings for inmates serving time in the Delaware    Department of Corrections  (DOC) in partnership with Connections, CSP and DOC.   This new pilot program aimed to extend access to primary specialty care services for inmates with Sickle Cell and offer sickle trait screenings and                      

counseling.   There has been a call to action to improve access to medical care for inmates  from the inmates, the community and families who have loved ones serving time.  U.S. has the largest prison population in the world and about 70%released are re-arrest within   3-years.  Having a family member who is  incarcerated with multiple chronic conditions and suffers from polysubstance abuse disorders moved me to want to extend services to improve access to  specialty care.  On early morning security rounds, my uncle was found lifeless in his cell unable to get a sick call for chest pain. His cell mate called medical.  CPR was started immediately and he was rushed to a local hospital which was able to bring him back to life from a massive Heart Attack!  Though his rap sheet of charges is too long to report, my uncle served in the U.S. Military (Veteran) and is a college graduate who once had a successful construction business.  There are so many opportunities for the community to get involved and advocate for programs as an inmate does their time behind bars.  Program initiatives below have been successful in lowering recidivism rates (inmates returning back to prison) such as: 

· Offering GED, trades and College Education Degree programs to inmates

· Allowing birthing mothers to care for their babies in prison

· Conjugal visits for inmates on good behavior to spend time with their spouse

· Family involvement programs

· Dog training programs for the disabled

· Multidisciplinary Drug Treatment programs

       Famous Russian novelist, Fyodor Dostoyevsky states “The degree of  civilization in society can be judged by entering its prisons.”   DOC contracts should allocate resources (10% of the $60M healthcare contract) for these programs and others which are deemed important by the community.  Lets Go Forth!  

TOVA Community Health
Primary Specialty Care

       For more information visit, www.tovacommunityhealth.org   
   Like us on Facebook #tovacommunityhealth