ABSTRACT
The right to health is dependent on, and contributes to, the realization of many other human rights. The interdependence of human rights is tested in the custodial environment. Health professionals can uniquely contribute to the content and application of norms and standards on the provision of, and access to, healthcare and on codes of ethical practice for other health professionals working in places of detention, as well as documenting alleged cases of ill-treatment. The overall conditions of detention can have direct and indirect effects on the health of the detained population, and in certain circumstances, the conditions themselves can amount to ill-treatment, or even torture. The responses to the health of prisoners are a critical element of the humane custody of individuals deprived of their liberty. The monitoring agencies acknowledge the professional sensitivities around this aspect of reviewing places of detention, by requiring that a health professional lead the investigation into health status and health service provision.
