ABSTRACT
Concern regarding the adequacy of health services for the incarcerated is a relatively new phenomenon. Prior to the 1970s, there was little assurance that the basic medical, dental, and mental health needs of inmates would be met. Few prisons and even fewer jails had a system of healthcare in place. Health services were characterized by insufficient numbers of qualified staff, inadequate services, and the denial of access to care on a timely basis. The use of inmate workers as health providers was common and correctional staff determined who would be seen and what services would be provided.1
