Incarcerated by Cancer

By Shawn Harris
From PHN Issue 53, Summer 2023

“There is a list of 132 inmates diagnosed with cancer,” announced the psychologist assigned to my block. She was sitting in front of her computer as the Psychology Department head and I discussed the commencement of the first-ever Cancer Support Group at my prison. I had for the past year been stressing the importance of having a cancer support group at my facility. We were having a meeting to finalize the date and time when the group would start. We weren’t certain if there were even enough inmates diagnosed in the prison to warrant a support group. In fact, the Psychology Department head specifically asked me how many inmates I knew were currently battling the illness. He even struggled to recall one or two he remembered working with in recent days. So, when the psychologist said the number, we were all stunned.

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“MARCH” of the Legionella

By Thomas Michael Simmons
From PHN Issue 53, Summer 2023

Many baby boomers recall 1976, when people attending an American Legion convention fell gravely ill to a form of pneumonia later named “legionnaires disease.” Legionnaires disease is caused by the bacteria Legionella pneumophila, which is among the most common causes of pneumonia. Legionella can be attributed to biofilms found in plumbing and water storage systems, construction, and water temperature fluctuations. They thrive and grow quickly in 98.6-degree Fahrenheit environments. Legionella grows best in large, complex, and poorly maintained water distribution systems, such as air conditioning and cooling systems.

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A Word About Syphilis

By Thomas Michael Simons, IPE
From PHN Issue 52, Spring 2023

While its origin is not completely known, the earliest evidence of syphilis was found in the Pre-Columbian Indigenous population of South America. Syphilis is caused by the Treponema pallidum spirochete bacterium, and it can cause serious health problems if not treated. It is transmitted by coming into contact with a syphilitic sore during anal, oral, or vaginal sex. These sores appear on or around the anus, penis, or vagina (they’re found in the rectum, on the lips, or in the mouth). It can be congenitally (present before birth) spread from a pregnant person to a fetus or baby.

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Prisoners Surviving Mental Illness

By Wayne Thomas
From PHN Issue 52, Spring 2023

There is an increasing restriction of constitutional rights and other safeguards on people with mental illness in prison. The punishment of individuals with psychiatric problems in prisons might affect the perception of people impacted by mass incarceration.

We are troubled by the punishing of people who suffer from mental and emotional disorders, who are often forced to take antipsychotic drugs during the trial or pretrial setting. There are a large number of instances in prisons and courthouses when a person with mental illness is forced to take medications against their will. The person is incapacitated by being put in a medication-induced stupor and then removed to a courtroom where they are sentenced to a term of incarceration. This is a process that maintains physical control over the mentally ill persons, forced by law to subject themselves to take antipsychotic medications when released. Often they are threatened with the possibility of return to confinement—to ensure medication adherence for formerly incarcerated people who are categorized as mentally ill.

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Ask PHN: Prostate Problems

By Seth Lamming
From PHN Issue 52, Spring 2023

Dear Prison Health News,
Would you please send any and all information on an enlarged prostate? What is the end result if I have to have it removed?

– Sincerely, Mr. Tracy

Dear Mr. Tracy,
Prostate health is an important topic for anyone who has a penis. The prostate is a gland about the size of a walnut that sits below the bladder and in front the rectum. It wraps around the urethra, the tube that pee and semen come out of. When the prostate is big, it squeezes the urethra and makes it harder to pee. Its main purpose is to make some of the fluid that goes into semen. In this article, we will discuss benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer.

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Medications for OPIOID USE DISORDER

By Hannah Calvelli and Dan Lockwood
From PHN Issue 52, Spring 2023

Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) is a term used by addiction and medical professionals when referring to the three medications (buprenorphine, naltrexone, and methadone) that are approved by the FDA for the treatment of opioid use disorder. You may have heard of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), which is a similar term that refers to the use of FDA approved medications for both alcohol use disorder and opioid use disorder. The difference between MOUD and MAT is that MAT is part of a larger treatment and recovery plan that includes counseling and behavioral therapy, whereas MOUD is treatment with medications only.

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Second issue of Turn It Up! prison health magazine now available

Our sister publication, Turn It Up! Staying Strong Inside, has just released its second issue! This is a beautiful, detailed and comprehensive resource for people in prison about how to survive, thrive and advocate for their health. Turn It Up! is published by the SERO Project.

You can read it online here and order a copy for your loved one in prison here.

Visit TheBody for a wonderful interview with the editors.

Growing Through Depression: A Toolbox for Mental Wellness

By Faith, Latyra, Kima, Rusty, and Stephanie; Women in Re-Entry at the People’s Paper Co-op Arts & Advocacy Fellowship

From PHN Issue 39, Winter/Spring 2019

The following is our truth. Our voice. It’s written by powerful women, all formerly incarcerated. We want you to remember your worth, to know that we hear you, that you’re thought of, and that we’re sending our love!

WE KNOW THE PROBLEM:

I know what it’s like to be depressed and behind bars. Waking up, day after day, living in a box… not knowing when you’re going home… Locked down. Feeling like a number, not a person. I’d sit and wait. Continue reading “Growing Through Depression: A Toolbox for Mental Wellness” →

Advocating for Yourself in a Medical Setting

By Teresa Sullivan

From PHN Issue 38, Fall 2018

Principles:

You have a right to information.
You have a right to be treated with dignity and respect.
You are entitled to a good relationship with your doctor or health care provider.
You have a right to make decisions that affect your health care and your life.
You have a responsibility to be effective.
You will be more effective if you have a strategy and a plan. Continue reading “Advocating for Yourself in a Medical Setting” →

Quick Tips for Common Ailments

By Timothy Hinkhouse

From PHN Issue 38, Fall 2018

Migraines:

Don’t you just hate it when your day hits a brick wall because you feel a blinding migraine coming on? Some people, it practically debilitates them and leaves them curled up in the fetal position in a dark room on their bed with a cool wet cloth on their forehead while wishing for any immediate relief. Continue reading “Quick Tips for Common Ailments” →