Incarcerated Canadians Healthcare 1

Lack of Healthcare Recourses for Incarcerated Canadians

Scarlett Perna

0643467

NSGD 3336

Aldona Nowak

Nipissing University

June 2, 2023
Incarcerated Canadians Healthcare 2

Introduction

Canada as a country is well known for its universal healthcare plan for all Canadian

citizens. Canada's universal healthcare plan was created from the Canadian Health Act and

follows the five pillars which include the system must be universal, publicly administered, have

comprehensive coverage, portable across provinces and accessible to the population

(Government of Canada, 2023). The Canadian government works to ensure that each of these

pillars is being met for the people of Canada. However, the protections of the Canada Health Act,

which safeguards the universal health care plan do not apply to federal prisoners within Canada

(Latimer, 2020). The responsibility of providing essential health care and reasonable access to

non-essential health care relies on the Correctional Service of Canada (Latimer, 2020). How can

a system that is built on the importance of universality claim to be universal if all Canadian

citizens can’t access it? Individuals convicted of a federal offence are ordered to face 2 years plus

a day or more in federal prison. When convicted they lose their right to freedom but nowhere in a

federal conviction sentencing does it state they must lose their right to adequate healthcare.

However, The Canada Health Act's rights do not apply to federal prisoners, nor are they covered

by provincial health insurance plans (Hussian et al., 2022). Not being covered by the Canada

Health Act can negatively impact inmates’ health and future health when reintegrated into

society. Federally incarcerated prisoners within Canada should have the right to be covered under

the Canada Health Act while incarcerated. This paper will discuss the complications federally

incarcerated Canadians face due to a lack of accessible healthcare resources while incarcerated

as a result of not being covered by the Canada Health Act. The paper will focus on the current

healthcare state within Canadian federal prisons, federal prison inmates’ mental health challenges
Incarcerated Canadians Healthcare 3

and the health challenges they face when reintegrated into society after serving their sentencing

time.

Discussion

Federally incarcerated Canadians face numerous complications due to a lack of

accessible healthcare resources while incarcerated as a result of not being covered by the Canada

Health Act. Federal prisons in Canada currently are not covered by the Canada Health Act,

instead, Correctional Services of Canada are responsible for all health care needs and resources

for federally incarcerated inmates in Canada. This can cause complications and biased treatment

as the same organization/service that is responsible for punishment is also responsible for

providing care. Often institutional needs can take precedence over the health care needs of

inmates. Correctional Services of Canada is required to provide health care to federal inmates as

per the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA), they have an obligation to provide

every inmate with essential health care and reasonable access to non-essential health care (Lee et

al., 2021). However, there are no clear professional standards that are required to be met by the

Correctional Services of Canada nor is there a clear distinction between what is considered

essential and non-essential health care. The concern lies in the fact that the same institution that

is responsible for punishing inmates is also controlling their health care. If a patient is put in

segregation as a result of poor behaviour while incarcerated in a federal prison their medications

can be withheld with no reasoning or repercussions (Latimer, 2020). This can be very harmful to

inmates if medications are stopped and restarted based on whether or not they are in segregation

or not. Especially for patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar or other mental health

diagnosis as many of these medications can’t just be stopped for multiple days and restarted
Incarcerated Canadians Healthcare 4

without causing harm to the patient. If federal prisons were covered by the Canada Health Act

this would not occur. There would be a larger focus on continuing care for inmates regardless of

barriers such as poor behaviour and segregation. Health is deemed a necessity in order to

maintain order and control, order and control is also a necessity for maintaining federal

institutions (Scallan et al., 2019). If adequate health care was prioritized within federal

correctional institutions they may also function better as a whole.

A second complication federally incarcerated Canadians face due to a lack of accessible

healthcare resources while incarcerated as a result of not being covered by the Canadian Health

Act is poor mental health support. A large population of federally incarcerated inmates suffer

from mental health disorders such as bipolar, depression, ADHD, schizophrenia and substance

use disorders. The prevalence of mental disorders in federal Canadian prisons remains

significantly higher than in the community (Cameron et al., 2021). Mental health disorders are

higher in federal prisons than they are in the general communities which should result in greater

access to mental health care and resources within federal prisons. Unfortunately, due to the

Canada Health Act not covering federal prisons the access to resources is significantly lower than

that of in the community. Mental health disorders can also put an individual at a greater risk of

being incarcerated. Prioritizing mental health care and resource accessibility within federal

prisons could decrease the recidivism rates in Canada as inmates would be getting the proper

mental health support and care they desperately need in order to make changes in their future.

Another complication federally incarcerated inmates face as a result of poor access to

health resources due to not being covered by the Canada Health Act is reintegration into society

post-sentencing completion. Much like incarceration can have adverse effects, including mental
Incarcerated Canadians Healthcare 5

health consequences so can the release period have consequences that may complicate the

process of reintegration (McKendy & Ricciardelli, 2020). After federally incarcerated inmates

have served their sentencing of 2 years or more they are expected to rejoin society as if nothing

has happened. However, the community they are released into is not designed to support post-

incarcerated individuals. Part of this is due to the lack of support while serving their sentencing

time. These inmates have just served 2 years plus in a confined facility and if they did not have

mental health diagnosis prior they may have developed one as a result of living in poor

conditions for so long. Inmates have been forced to serve time in an institution that does not

support their physical, mental and overall health as a result of being exiled from their counties’

claimed universal health care system. Once released they are expected to navigate a healthcare

system that they have not been a part of nor trust anymore. As a result, this can lead to increases

in former inmate recidivism because they are continuing to not get the possible mental health

care or substance abuse rehabilitation services they need.

Conclusion

As emphasized in this discussion it is clear that federally incarcerated Canadians face

numerous complications due to a lack of accessible healthcare resources while incarcerated as a

result of not being covered by the Canada Health Act. As Canadian citizens, it should be an

individual's right to access the claimed universal health care plan that this country promotes no

matter the circumstances. Section 12 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms declares “Everyone

has the right not to be subjected to any cruel and unusual treatment or punishment” (Government

of Canada, 2022). Denying a federally convicted Canadian inmate of their Canadian universal
Incarcerated Canadians Healthcare 6

health care while incarcerated is unfair punishment. They have lost their freedom due to choices

they have made and are serving their time but they should have access to adequate health

services while doing so. Changes must be made to the Canada Health Act in order to better

service and protect federally incarcerated individuals.

Incarcerated Canadians Healthcare 7

References

Cameron, C., Khalifa, N., Bickle, A., Safdar, H., & Hassan, T. (2021). Psychiatry in the federal

correctional system in Canada. BJPsych International, 18(2), 42-46. doi:10.1192/

bji.2020.56

Government of Canada (2023). Government of Canada: Canada’s Health Care System Retrieved

from https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/canada-health-care-system.html

Government of Canada (2022). Government of Canada: Guide to The Canadian Charter of

Rights and Freedoms. Retrieved From: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/

services/how-rights-protected/guide-canadian-charter-rights-freedoms.html

Hussain, J., Sanmugananthan V., Al-Kaabi N., (2022). HealthyDebate: Health-care behind bars:

Equity and accountability in Canada’s correctional services. Retrieved From: https://

healthydebate.ca/2022/03/topic/health-care-behind-bars-equity/

#:~:text=The%20Canada%20Health%20Act%20(CHA,by%20provincial%20health%20insuranc

e%20plans.

Latimer, C., (2020). Ottawa Citizen: Canada’s Universal Health Care Stops at The Gates of

Federal Prisons. Retrieved from https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/columnists/latimer-

canadas-universal-health-care-stops-at-the-gates-of-federal-prisons

Lee, A., Ross, A., Saad, M. (2021). Ontario Medical Student Association: Health Care Reform in

Canadian Corrections Facilities.

Incarcerated Canadians Healthcare 8

McKendy, L., & Ricciardelli, R. (2020). The pains of release: Federally-sentenced women’s

experiences on parole. European Journal of Probation, 13(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/

10.1177/2066220320948375

Scallan, E., Lancaster, K., & Kouyoumdjian, F. (2019). The “problem” of health: An analysis of

health care provision in Canada’s Federal Prisons. Health: An Interdisciplinary Journal

for the Social Study of Health, Illness and Medicine, 25(1), 3–20. https://doi.org/

10.1177/1363459319846940
Incarcerated Canadians Healthcare 9

Appendix

Latimer, C., (2020). Ottawa Citizen: Canada’s Universal Health Care Stops at The Gates of

Federal Prisons. Retrieved from https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/columnists/latimer-

canadas-universal-health-care-stops-at-the-gates-of-federal-prisons