ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on inmates’ rights to medical care and rehabilitation programs. Rehabilitation programs aim to reduce offenders’ criminal propensity. The benefits of this reduction once an offender is released from prison are self-evident. Medical care for incarcerated offenders is vital in achieving the prison’s goal of safety and security. Because inmates are not free to seek medical care outside of the prison while they are incarcerated, courts have ruled that prison officials must supply at least basic medical care for all inmates. The specific areas covered in this chapter include whether inmates have a constitutional right to participate in rehabilitation programs, inmates’ right to medical care, the right to refuse medical care, transgender inmates and sex reassignment surgery, and inmates’ rights to confidentiality regarding medical diagnoses.
