Prison Healthcare

The most serious concern of inmates at many prisons, prison medical care has been a focus of the Prison Visiting Project for the last decade.

See our individual prison reports for detailed descriptions of the healthcare at each prison we have visited.

Healthcare in New York Prisons, 2004-2007

In 2009, PVP published Healthcare in New York Prisons, 2004-2007 at the request of the New York State Assembly’s Health and Corrections Committees. The comprehensive report is based on information gathered during 19 monitoring visits and notes administrative factors that can negatively affect care, such as vacancies and low salaries of medical personnel. It also makes concrete recommendations for improvement. [press release] [executive summary] [download full report]

Legislative Victory: Securing better care for people with HIV and hepatitis C

In September 2009, Governor Paterson signed a law mandating that the Department of Health monitor HIV and hepatitis C care in New York’s prisons and jails. The bill’s enactment comes after many years of advocacy by the CA and its allies—and right on the heels of a targeted email campaign organized by the CA, in which hundreds of supporters sent messages to the Governor urging him to sign the legislation. [read more]

Looking Back on Years of Advocacy

When Governor Paterson signed the DOH Oversight Bill into law in September, the advocacy community witnessed decades of effort come to fruition. [read more]