The Pulse: Healthcare Behind Bars

More than 2 million people in the U.S. are incarcerated — and tens of thousands have had COVID-19. The pandemic has brought more attention than ever to the barriers to healthcare in prisons and jails. But this has been a problem since long before COVID-19. Incarceration stamps lasting effects on people’s health, and sends ripple effects beyond the prison walls, into the lives and health of people living on the outside.

On this episode, The Pulse looks at incarceration and its long-term impact on health. Hear the story of Adnan Khan, a formerly incarcerated advocate fighting for better conditions in American prisons; how the design of prisons affects human health; and what it’s like trying to provide mental health care in a setting that’s not really set up for that.

The Pulse talks with Stanley Richards about his personal experience being incarcerated, and why the very design of prisons creates an assault on people’s health. Stanley is executive vice president of the Fortune Society, a nonprofit that supports people’s successful transition from incarceration back into the outside world.