Cruel and unusual punishment: the health care of women in prison.

Nationally, the number of female prison inmates--although small compared with the number of male inmates--is on the upswing. Since correctional facilities are legally mandated under the eighth amendment to provide inmates with their constitutional right to health care, innovative methods of delivering that care will have to be devised within a current system that is neither funded nor prepared to design and dispense such programs. The most frequent medical problems among incarcerated women are drug/alcohol addiction, gynecological diseases, and exacerbation of chronic health problems, particularly hypertension, diabetes and epilepsy. The prison health care system is also being faced with management of an increasing number of pregnant and postpartal inmates. Health needs of this group include basic health care, teaching, counseling and supportive care--services that can be appropriately provided by nurse practitioners and other health care providers.