NCJ Number
72197
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 44 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1980) Pages: 53-58
Date Published
1980
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article reviews selected epidemiological evaluations and medical observations of infectious disease transmission, which suggest a rational basis for controlling population density in correctional facilities.
Abstract
After references to various standards for allocating living space to prisoners and a brief historical perspective, the applicability of military epidemiological studies to prison populations is discussed. In 1942, the Army Epidemiological Board confirmed the need to restrict crowding to the level produced by the allotment of 60 square feet per person. The board found that while the dangers are greatest with respect to respiratory diseases, crowding also increases the danger of diseases which are spread by other routes, especially the gastrointestinal diseases. The incidence and prevalence of infectious diseases in American communities are not as high as in earlier periods, but the American Medical Association has found that an extremely high incidence of communicable disease exists among inmates in correctional institutions. An examination of 641 prisoners showed that 48 percent had some type of infectious disease. Crowding in these institutions not only overburdens the plumbing system and toilet facilities, but it also reduces the effectiveness of the ventilation system. The lack of adequate air movement exerts an unfavorable influence on the general metabolism and on the thermal state of the body, often causing a sensation of oppression, heat discomfort, or excesive fatigue. Furthermore, the transmission of airborne disease-producing bacteria and viruses between individuals is an indoor phenomenon which is limited to confined atmospheres in which the concentration of infectious organisms can reach levels hazardous to susceptible people who share the same air supply. The infectious particles dischared into the air by coughing, sneezing, spitting, singing, or even talking can impinge on the skin of a recipient at close range and can be deposited in the upper respiratory tract and lungs. The closer the range, the greater is the probability that organisms will be passed. Footnotes and tables are included.