Identifying Inmates with Medical Problems

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Identifying Inmates with Medical Problems

 

Gordon Graham
Category: Corrections

Gordon Graham here with Today’s Tip from Lexipol. And Today’s Tip deals with inmates who have medical problems in the jail.

By training staff on the indicators of physical medical problems, we can help to avoid unnecessary medical and legal complications.

Unfortunately, many people come to jail with a variety of medical problems. It is a fact of life that once they enter our custody facility, we are responsible for their health and welfare.

While all inmates should be thoroughly screened for medical problems at intake, some ailments may go undetected and others may develop after incarceration.

Some indications that an inmate is in physical distress may include: 

  • A loss of appetite,
  • A physical injury,
  • Blood on the clothing,
  • Nodding off unexpectedly or sleeping all day,
  • Tremors,
  • A change in skin color,
  • An adverse reaction to a medication,
  • Chest Pains,
  • Shortness of breath or 
  • Difficulty walking or participating in normal activities. 

Special Attention should be given to those inmates who already require special medical treatment. They may include: 

  • Pregnant inmates,
  • Paraplegics,
  • Inmates who have a colostomy,
  • Someone suffering severe back pain,
  • An inmate who is recovering from surgery or 
  • An inmate with a physical disability.

By training staff on the indicators of physical medical problems, we can help to avoid unnecessary medical and legal complications and effectively provide necessary services to our inmate population.

And that is Today’s Tip from Lexipol. Gordon Graham signing off.

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