Access to Psychiatric and Education Services During Incarceration in the United States

OBJECTIVE: Individuals with psychiatric disorders are incarcerated at disproportionately high rates and often have low educational attainment. Access to psychiatric and education services within prisons has been described as inadequate, but recent data are lacking. The authors sought to assess the association of psychiatric disorders with both educational attainment before incarceration and access to psychiatric and education services during incarceration.

METHODS: Data were from the 2016 Survey of Prison Inmates, a national survey of adults incarcerated in U.S. state and federal prisons (N=24,848). Multinomial regression was used to identify associations of educational attainment before incarceration with psychiatric disorders and sociodemographic factors. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess associations of psychiatric disorders with access to psychiatric and education services during incarceration and with sociodemographic factors.

RESULTS: Before incarceration, 57.3% of survey respondents had less than a high school diploma. Across four education and psychiatric services, only 8.4%-44.8% of respondents reported participating in these services during incarceration, despite 57.3% reporting a psychiatric or learning disorder. Psychiatric disorders were associated with lower educational attainment before incarceration and lower access to education services during incarceration. Psychiatric disorders were associated with higher odds of access to psychiatric services during incarceration. Men had lower educational attainment before incarceration and lower odds of accessing psychiatric and education services during incarceration.

CONCLUSIONS: Incarcerated people had a high need for psychiatric and education services. Individuals with psychiatric disorders had lower odds of participating in education services during incarceration, highlighting the need for policies and services that increase participation.

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Work Title Access to Psychiatric and Education Services During Incarceration in the United States
Access
Open Access
Creators
  1. Brandy F. Henry
  2. Joy Gray
License CC BY 4.0 (Attribution)
Work Type Article
Publisher
  1. Psychiatric Services
Publication Date May 2, 2024
Publisher Identifier (DOI)
  1. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.20230335
Deposited February 25, 2025

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  • Created

    February 25, 2025 10:23 by Researcher Metadata Database

  • Added FinalSubmitedVersionPS.pdf

    February 25, 2025 10:23 by Researcher Metadata Database

  • Added Creator Brandy F. Henry

    February 25, 2025 10:23 by Researcher Metadata Database

  • Added Creator Joy Gray

    February 25, 2025 10:23 by Researcher Metadata Database

  • Published

    February 25, 2025 10:23 by Researcher Metadata Database

  • Updated

    February 25, 2025 21:04 by [unknown user]

  • Updated Description, Publication Date Show Changes

    March 05, 2025 14:26 by avs5190

    Description
    • OBJECTIVE: Individuals with psychiatric disorders are incarcerated at disproportionately high rates and often have low educational attainment. Access to psychiatric and education services within prisons has been described as inadequate, but recent data are lacking. The authors sought to assess the association of psychiatric disorders with both educational attainment before incarceration and access to psychiatric and education services during incarceration. METHODS: Data were from the 2016 Survey of Prison Inmates, a national survey of adults incarcerated in U.S. state and federal prisons (N=24,848). Multinomial regression was used to identify associations of educational attainment before incarceration with psychiatric disorders and sociodemographic factors. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess associations of psychiatric disorders with access to psychiatric and education services during incarceration and with sociodemographic factors. RESULTS: Before incarceration, 57.3% of survey respondents had less than a high school diploma. Across four education and psychiatric services, only 8.4%-44.8% of respondents reported participating in these services during incarceration, despite 57.3% reporting a psychiatric or learning disorder. Psychiatric disorders were associated with lower educational attainment before incarceration and lower access to education services during incarceration. Psychiatric disorders were associated with higher odds of access to psychiatric services during incarceration. Men had lower educational attainment before incarceration and lower odds of accessing psychiatric and education services during incarceration. CONCLUSIONS: Incarcerated people had a high need for psychiatric and education services. Individuals with psychiatric disorders had lower odds of participating in education services during incarceration, highlighting the need for policies and services that increase participation.
    • OBJECTIVE: Individuals with psychiatric disorders are incarcerated at disproportionately high rates and often have low educational attainment. Access to psychiatric and education services within prisons has been described as inadequate, but recent data are lacking. The authors sought to assess the association of psychiatric disorders with both educational attainment before incarceration and access to psychiatric and education services during incarceration.
    • METHODS: Data were from the 2016 Survey of Prison Inmates, a national survey of adults incarcerated in U.S. state and federal prisons (N=24,848). Multinomial regression was used to identify associations of educational attainment before incarceration with psychiatric disorders and sociodemographic factors. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess associations of psychiatric disorders with access to psychiatric and education services during incarceration and with sociodemographic factors.
    • RESULTS: Before incarceration, 57.3% of survey respondents had less than a high school diploma. Across four education and psychiatric services, only 8.4%-44.8% of respondents reported participating in these services during incarceration, despite 57.3% reporting a psychiatric or learning disorder. Psychiatric disorders were associated with lower educational attainment before incarceration and lower access to education services during incarceration. Psychiatric disorders were associated with higher odds of access to psychiatric services during incarceration. Men had lower educational attainment before incarceration and lower odds of accessing psychiatric and education services during incarceration.
    • CONCLUSIONS: Incarcerated people had a high need for psychiatric and education services. Individuals with psychiatric disorders had lower odds of participating in education services during incarceration, highlighting the need for policies and services that increase participation.
    Publication Date
    • 2024-09-01
    • 2024-05-02