ABSTRACT
The following special edition of Criminal Justice Studies centers on issues that intersect both the criminal justice and public health systems. It relies on a longstanding World Health Organization’s definition of public health as, ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’ (1948). Using this approach, health is categorized into a tripartite schema that involves the nexus of the physical body, the mind, and consideration of broader society. These components are particularly salient for the modern day criminal justice system where front-line workers are legally responsible for providing health, safety, and access to treatment to both offenders and their victims on a daily basis.
