Role Title: Administrative Organizer

Start Date: Early February

Application Deadline: January 16th

About Prison Health News and this role:

Prison Health News is an all-volunteer organization that publishes a free print newsletter for 5,000 subscribers in prison four times a year, rooted in organizing to end mass incarceration and build health justice. Many of our volunteers are health care workers, and we are the only organization that responds to health questions from people in prisons everywhere in the U.S. We are now looking to hire an individual with computer/office skills for a paid, part-time (10 hours/week) position to support our work. We strongly encourage formerly incarcerated people with lived experience within the criminal legal system to apply. This is a contract position, not a regular employee position, which means that taxes aren’t automatically taken out of your wages—you have to pay them yourself and it may be a larger amount. This is a one-year contract position funded by a grant, so we don’t know if we’ll be able to continue this position after the year is over. Training will be supportive, clear, approachable and flexible. You can set your own schedule and let us know when you need time off. The position will include a 1 month paid training period after which we’ll discuss continuing with the year-long contract.  We have a great crew of people who are dedicated and kind, and you’ll get to do work that is meaningful and helps people in prison. Movement Alliance Project, our fiscal sponsor, is an equal opportunity employer, and we strongly encourage formerly incarcerated people, people of color, women, LGBTQ people, and candidates with disabilities to apply. 

Continue reading “Prison Health News seeks to hire an administrative organizer” →

By Lisa Horwitz and Seth Lamming

Question:

Dear Prison Health News,

How do I avoid diabetes when the meals usually consist of white bread, white rice, cake, cornbread, fruit served in syrup, and white noodles? I would appreciate any

information you can provide. Thank you.

—Colin Broughton, South Carolina

Answer:

Thanks for this great question! Type 2 diabetes, also known as adult onset diabetes (high blood sugar), is a common long-term health problem that affects 1 out of every 10 Americans. It can cause many physical complications, and of course we would all like to prevent getting it if at all possible (If you have diabetes, PHN has written a “Diabetes Self-education Guidebook” that we will send you on request).

The cause of diabetes is not really known—so guaranteed prevention is not possible for any of us. It is thought that a combination of environment, genetics, and health choices like diet and exercise cause some people to develop diabetes. Risk factors for diabetes are: smoking, having other family members who have diabetes, being overweight (especially if the extra fat is mostly in the belly), getting little or no exercise, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diets high in sugars and saturated fats, being of Black, Hispanic, Native American, or Asian/Pacific Island ethnicity, being female, and being over 40 years old. Being low income increases risk, both because of increased stress and lack of access to fresh whole food. But anyone can get diabetes, even if they have none of these risk factors.

Continue reading “Ask PHN: Reducing Your Risk of Diabetes in Prison” →

By Lucy Gleysteen and Seth Lamming

Whenever your heart beats, it pushes blood through your body to nourish tissues and organs. The heart has to beat with enough force to reach every part of the body. However, many people have blood pressure that is too high. When blood vessels are narrowed by conditions such as high cholesterol, the heart has to work harder to supply blood to the rest of the body, increasing pressure. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, over time causes less blood flow to the kidneys, which causes the body to retain more water and salts. With more water and salts in the body, the heart has to beat harder to manage all the fluid, causing an increase in blood pressure.

What is blood pressure, and what do the numbers mean?

Blood pressure is the measurement of how much pressure or force there is of blood pushing up against the walls of your arteries. Arteries are what carry blood from your heart to other parts of your body.

Blood pressure readings have two numbers. Systolic, the number on top, represents the pressure on blood vessel walls when your heart is beating or contracting. Diastolic is the number below, and it represents the pressure on your blood vessels between beats when your heart is relaxing. It is normal for blood pressure to fluctuate over the day.

Continue reading “High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) And What You Can Do About It” →

By C. Nunley, GRCC, KY

Do you know what “consent” means? Maybe you think that you might, or perhaps you know what the dictionary defines it as, but did you know that legally, as far as the healthcare system goes, there are two basic types of consent?

The first type of consent is known as “implied consent.” This type of consent is typically based on actions rather than words. One example of implied consent is in emergencies. If you are found unconscious and not breathing, the law basically says that a reasonable person would assume you want them to save your life, so consent is implied without you having to say anything.

Continue reading “What You Need to Know About Your Rights of Consent Regarding Medical Care” →

By Rand. W Gould, October 2021

Reprinted with permission from San Francisco Bay View National Black Newspaper

In early March 2020, the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) declared a so-called “medical quarantine” for influenza, i.e., the flu, that quickly morphed into the COVID-19 “quarantine” still in effect to this day. Just as quickly, MDOC health care provider Corizon Health, Inc., took full advantage of this quarantine to deny prisoners constitutionally mandated health care across the board, including dental, optical, hepatitis B and other vaccines, with all previously scheduled 2020 medical consults and surgeries canceled.

Continue reading “MDOC Covid-19 ‘Quarantine’ Reaps Financial Windfall for Corizon Health’s Investors” →

By Lily H-A

The most recent wave of COVID-19 cases, driven by the omicron variant of the coronavirus, peaked in January in the US. The rate of COVID-19 cases at that point was by far the highest in the US to date. Cases dropped rapidly over the next couple months. However, as of April 2022, cases have begun to rise again in many parts of the country, though less steeply than before. This is likely due to a “sub-variant” or slightly different version of the omicron variant called BA.2 (the version of omicron that caused the earlier, larger wave was called BA.1). BA.2 seems to be slightly more contagious than BA.1, but does not seem to be more severe.

Continue reading “Covid-19 Updates: April 2022” →

By Leo Cardez

Adapted from Yoga Magazine 2020, Pam O’Brien

There is a medical term called heart rate variability, or HRV, which stands for the variability of time between heartbeats. There’s significant research demonstrating a correlation between better HRV (more variety in the length of time from one heartbeat to the next) and improved mood, enhanced focus, better sleep, boosted energy, and more resilience overall. Anyone would benefit from better HRV—and fortunately, anyone can … with a little practice.

Continue reading “Convict Chronicles: Tip #21: Breathe Easy” →

By Tonie. N Loveday

I would like to relay my story of how I, a transgender woman and inmate doing time at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City, took on the Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC).

Not being on hormone treatment prior to incarceration, the IDOC would not allow transgender inmates to begin them. I was not diagnosed with gender dysphoria until June 2015, seven years into my sentence. Gender dysphoria is the medical diagnosis for experiences of distress and discomfort connected to a difference between one’s gender identity and their sex assigned at birth. Diagnosis by a psychologist, psychiatrist, or doctor is often required to receive gender-affirming care, such as hormone therapy and gender-affirming surgeries. A diagnosis of gender dysphoria is not needed to identify as transgender or be a part of the community. However, it is often needed to access treatment.

Continue reading “Indiana Begins to Allow Hormone Therapy Treatment for Transgender Inmates” →