The health of Australia's prisoners 2010

The health of Australia's prisoners 2010 is the second report on indicators of prisoner health in Australia. The two-week snapshot showed that: almost 1 in 3 prison entrants had ever been told they have a mental health disorder and 1 in 5 prisoners in custody were taking medication for a mental health condition. More than 4 in 5 prison entrants currently smoked tobacco; over half reported drinking alcohol at risk levels; and 2 in 3 had used illicit drugs during the previous 12 months. Further, more than 1 in 3 prison entrants had not completed Year 10 at school; and 1 in 4 prison entrants had a chronic condition such as asthma, cardiovascular disease or diabetes. The report also contains data relating to communicable diseases, deaths in custody, and the use of prison health services.

ISBN 978-1-74249-195-0; Cat. no. PHE 149; 206pp.; $38