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We are on the outside, but we were inside before. We've been where you are now and know what it's like...and survived it. We are formerly imprisoned people talking about health issues and trying to bring about a positive change for all people who are in prison now or ever have been in the past. This newsletter is about all of us. Prison Health News is a project of the Institute for Community Justice at Philadelphia FIGHT.

Getting and Keeping the Right Drugs You Need

By Ronald Leutwyler

From PHN Issue 36, Spring 2018

As a rule, prisons try to give you the cheapest medications they can. And if they do give you medications, you have a constant battle to keep them. Rather than cut some time off of your sentence, they cut your medications and healthcare, food menu, yard time, etc. As an indigent inmate for 17 years, constantly in debt and with no one in free society to help, I know exactly how exhausting it can be to battle for the right medications. One of the two things the state (any state) is afraid of is the existence of a paper trail that you can build and use against them in a court of law. Continue reading “Getting and Keeping the Right Drugs You Need” →

Preventing Opioid Overdose after Release from Prison

By Kathryn Hawrot

From PHN Issue 36, Spring 2018

What are opioids?

Opioids are drugs used to control moderate-to-severe pain, obtained through a prescription or illegally. They include oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet, Roxicodone), oxymorphone (Opana), hydromorphone (Dilaudid), hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lortab, Norco), morphine, codeine, heroin, fentanyl, buprenorphine, and methadone. Some street names for opiates are Captain Cody, kickers, juice, footballs, Apache, TNT, smack, dope, China white, pink, Miss Emma, and M. Continue reading “Preventing Opioid Overdose after Release from Prison” →

Searching for an HIV cure

By Kirsten Sandgren

From PHN Issue 36, Spring 2018

The human body has a truly amazing set of defenses against infection. Considering how much our bodies are exposed to in the course of our day-to-day lives, it’s a pretty rare occurrence for us to get sick. Even when we do become ill, the immune system is able to recognize the invader, signal to the many different cells that are responsible for keeping us healthy, and almost always come out victorious. Despite this, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is able to cause lifelong infection. HIV affects over one million Americans and more than 37 million people around the world.There is no cure for HIV/AIDS currently, but there is promising research being done to improve treatment and hopefully find a cure in the future. Continue reading “Searching for an HIV cure” →

Nutrition Tips from Our Readers

From PHN Issue 35, Winter 2018

Preparing your own meals from items you purchase from commissary allows you to control what you’re putting into your meals and pay attention to the contents. Just as our body must consume a particular number of calories, it must also consume vitamins. Unfortunately, in most cases, kitchens overcook the vegetables and its extracting the vitamins we need. To make up for this, you can eat fruit…Regardless of what you eat, it’s good to drink water throughout the day in order for the body to function properly. Drinking water will help you digest food properly. Continue reading “Nutrition Tips from Our Readers” →

California Begins to Allow Gender-Appropriate Clothing

By Fatima Malika Shabazz

From PHN Issue 35, Winter 2018

I have been fighting long and hard to get gender reassignment surgery here in California. There are now protocols in place for inmates in the California Department of Corrections to apply for surgery. I applied with the medical department for reassignment surgery, but I kept my civil action (lawsuit) open. I have not lost a major motion to date, so the outlook (at least for now) looks pretty good for negotiation. Continue reading “California Begins to Allow Gender-Appropriate Clothing” →

There’s a Way to Eliminate Hepatitis C, but Is There a Will?

By Suzy Subways

From PHN Issue 35, Winter 2018

As many as four out of every ten people incarcerated in state prisons are living with hepatitis C, the US Department of Health and Human Services reports. But fewer than one out of every hundred people in prison living with chronic hepatitis C are getting treatment, according to Mandy Altman of the Hepatitis Education Project. Prisons are refusing to provide treatment even though there is now a cure. Drug companies have been allowed to set extremely high prices, because we live under a free-market economic system, and states lack the money to pay. Continue reading “There’s a Way to Eliminate Hepatitis C, but Is There a Will?” →

HIV and Hepatitis C Co-Infection

By Lucy Gleysteen

From PHN Issue 35, Winter 2018

Finding out that you have both HIV and hepatitis C can be difficult. Some people can be living with HIV and/or hepatitis C and not know their status because it sometimes takes a long time for symptoms to appear. If you think you might have contracted HIV or hepatitis C, you can ask your doctor to provide testing. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services guidelines, prisons should provide testing. Continue reading “HIV and Hepatitis C Co-Infection” →

Anger Management While in Prison

By James A. Rucks, Jr.

From PHN Issue 35, Winter 2018

First, what is anger? Anger is an emotion, a strong feeling that Webster’s Dictionary defines as “a strong feeling of displeasure and usually of antagonism.”

Second, why worry about anger? Because if it is not dealt with, anger can turn into rage, like a teapot or a volcano effect. It can also lead to severe health problems such as (but not limited to) heart problems, high blood pressure, and stroke. Continue reading “Anger Management While in Prison” →

Colorectal Cancer Occurring Earlier

by Darrell L. Taylor

From PHN Issue 34, Fall 2017

In the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS), inmates are not screened for colorectal cancer until the age of 50, regardless of what ethnic group one may belong to. It has been established that people of African origin are at higher risk than other ethnic groups and therefore should be screened at an earlier age, especially if there is a family history. Finding and removing polyps on the inner wall of the colon or rectum can prevent colorectal cancer. Continue reading “Colorectal Cancer Occurring Earlier” →