Survey: Maine prison inmates need better care

PORTLAND – A Maine Civil Liberties Union survey of the health of inmates in the state’s prison system demonstrates a need for better treatment of mental health and substance abuse problems, according to a report released Tuesday.

The MCLU also concluded that the system should improve its response to inmates with physical illnesses and conditions, increase its dental health services and expand efforts to help inmates stop smoking.

The 11-page survey, which was completed anonymously by about two-thirds of the 1,900 inmates in seven Maine prisons, found that 70 percent of respondents reported that their overall health was good.

But nearly 60 percent said they had substance abuse problems and 38.5 percent said they have a mental illness. About 60 percent were smokers when they entered prison, compared to about 24 percent of the adult population statewide. And 49 percent reported dental problems.

Slightly more than 1 percent of inmates reported being infected with HIV, while nearly 11 percent said they had hepatitis C. In both cases, the report indicated that the low numbers might reflect limited testing by the state.

The survey was conducted last May and June by researchers from the Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine. The MCLU said its goal was to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the prison health care system and help determine whether its resources are adequate.

The primary provider of health care services for Maine prison inmates is Correctional Medical Services, a managed care company based in St. Louis. Mental health services are handled by two other providers, one for psychiatry and one for counseling services.

The survey was based on the inmates’ own impressions. The report said the results were not compared to other data or to Department of Corrections records, in part because the department’s record keeping is limited.

The department worked with the MCLU on the survey, and Denise Lord, associate commissioner, said there was little in the report that she found surprising.

Expressing agreement with many of the recommendations, Lord said her department has “made significant improvements since the survey was conducted but there is still work to be done.”