#102 Healthcare Behind Bars

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Dec 8, 2021

As a patient, you would want the best care to come to you. You would want to be able to access health services, empathetic staff, and any medications you need. As a citizen, you likely want that for others who are in need of healthcare assistance. So why is this not the case once people are behind bars? "Imagine yourself in a box trying to reach out for help." That is what one of our guests, Lawrence Da Silva, host of Voices Inside and Out, described what it was like to be in need of healthcare services in prison. In this episode, we dive deep into the reality that is healthcare in a prison setting. We are also joined by Catherine Latimer, the executive director of the John Howard Society, and Dr. Kiran Patel, a staff psychiatrist at CAMH's Forensic Division. They touch on topics like the accessibility of care as related to the Canada Health Act, specific challenges like mental health and the effect of prison transfers, and what is being done by organizations like the John Howard Society to help. We hope this episode can highlight some important aspects about the reality of life behind bars.

The Nelson Mandela Rules
The Ashley Smith Inquest
Elizabeth Fry Toronto
The John Howard Society
Voices Inside and Out Podcast
Canada Health Act
Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA)
Indigenous People in Federal Custody: Government of Canada
Race and Incarceration: The Representation and Characteristics of Black People in Provincial Correctional Facilities in Ontario, Canada
Houses of hate: How Canada's prison system is broken
How You Can Get Involved: John Howard Society of Canada
CAMH: Services and Support After Incarceration

Dr. Kiran Patel

Staff Psychiatrist, Forensics, CAMH; Assistant Professor, University of Toronto

Catherine Latimer

Executive Director, John Howard Society of Canada; Member, Order of Canada; Co-Host, Voices Inside and Out Podcast

Lawrence Da Silva

Consultant, John Howard Society of Canada; Co-Host, Voices Inside and Out Podcast

Coming soon!