Consultations médicales et consommations médicamenteuses en cours de détention préventive à la prison de Champ-Dollon

Abstract

The objective of this analysis is to call attention to several factors which may account for the frequency of medical consultations and the extensive intake of medication during the first two months of preventive custody at the Champ-Dollon prison. The results of this study, substantiated by the number of consultations granted and prescriptions filled, indicate that there has been prompt and extensive medical action. This heavy medical care is only partially explained by its significant association with the usual medical care received prior to imprisonment and by the psychosomatic symptoms manifested early in the detention period. The characteristics of those under study-connected with toxicomania, psychopathy and recidivism-are also greatly responsible for extensive use of medical services during detention.

Prescription of hypnotics and tranquilisers at the Geneva prison's outpatient service in comparison to an urban outpatient medical service

“…Nevertheless, the real proportion of drug addiction among prisoners may be larger than what can be determined on the basis of patient report and clinical signs at admission. However, this is unlikely in our (Zimmermann & Allmen 1985) and other's experience (McElrath 1994). Also, underprescription of antidepressant drugs may result from physicians fearing potential overdose among prisoners.…”

“…It has been alleged that prisoners overconsume hypnotics and sedatives (Jaeger & Monceau 1996). There are very few studies on drug prescriptions in a prison (Jaeger & Monceau 1996;Zimmermann & yon Allmen 1985;Sommers & Baskin 1991;Demoures et al 1998;Baillargeon et al 2001;Harding 1984), probably because of methodological and practical issues (Jaeger & Monceau 1996;Martin 1984). We conducted the present study to establish whether prescription of hypnotics and sedatives is higher in prison than in an ambulatory care service of the population living in the same geographical area.…”

Insomnia in places of detention: a review of the most recent research findings

“…The most important research questions A French study has examined the effects of life conditions in detention (Association Lyonnaise de Criminologie et d'Anthropologie Sociale, 1991). Clearly, these conditions as well as the difficult experience of imprisonment play an important role concerning the prevalence of sleep disturbance complaints (Zimmermann and von Allmen, 1985;Harding and Zimmermann, 1989;Vasseur, 2001;Ross and Richards, 2002;Elger, 2004a;Feron et al, 2005). Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is present in a sizeable number of prisoners and is also known to cause insomnia (Krakow et al, 2004;DeViva et al, 2004).…”