Redefining & Investing in Community: Improving Telehealth Care and Educational Programs among People Incarcerated in Rural State Prisons

监狱系统内医疗保健服务的提供以不同的模式为基础，但获得及时和最佳的医疗保健往往受到多方面因素的制约。这导致了美国监狱系统内（对被监禁的人和监狱工作人员）的健康不平等。鉴于目前被监禁的人往往在农村地区，他们获得医疗保健和教育的机会有限。远程保健已被用作传统保健的一种有效和低成本的替代办法，政府官员目前正在优先考虑农村和偏远社区的互联网接入。在农村地区扩大高速互联网接入，可以使远程保健服务成为一系列保健学科中传统护理的替代方法，作为接触难以获得保健服务的人口（如农村和偏远的农村社区）的一种手段。我们的组织和我们的研究伙伴都通过互联网为偏远的被监禁社区提供服务，并与他们建立联系。为了增加获得远程保健身心健康服务的机会，我们建议支持在马里兰州和密苏里州的大约14个州监狱安装高速互联网。我们正在优先考虑以黑人为主的农村监狱。我们还将扩大本组织现有的教育方案，包括保险演练课程、减少对身心健康的歧视的课程，以及促进身心健康保健知识的课程。

Delivery of healthcare services within prison systems is underpinned by different models, yet access to timely and optimal healthcare is often constrained by multifaceted factors. This has resulted in health inequities within the U.S. carceral system (for both people who are incarcerated and staff in prisons). Given that people who are currently incarcerated are often in rural areas, they have limited access to healthcare and education. Telehealth has been used as an effective and low-cost alternative to conventional care, and internet access within rural and remote communities is currently being prioritized by government officials. Expanding high speed internet access in carceral settings could allow for telehealth services as an alternative approach to conventional care in a range of healthcare disciplines as a means of reaching populations with poor access to healthcare services, such as rural and remote carceral communities. Our organization and our research partner each serve and connect with remote incarcerated communities using the internet. To increase access to telehealth physical and mental health services, we propose to support the installation of high-speed internet into approximately 14 state prisons within the states of Maryland and Missouri. We are prioritizing prisons in rural areas that serve a predominantly Black incarcerated population. We will also be expanding our organization’s existing educational programming to include an insurance walk-through course, courses to reduce stigma about physical and mental health, and courses to promote physical and mental health care knowledge.