From jail cell to emergency room: Too many injuries after release from prison

Ten years ago, the World Health Organization warned that prisons would become 21st century asylums. Now, that warning is becoming a reality.

Mental illness and substance use problems are more common among people in prison than in the community, and the number of people with these problems in prison is increasing over time. This is further complicated by the fact that between one-fifth and half of people in prison experience both mental illness and substance use problems at the same time. This is called ‘dual diagnosis’.