Grant: CIHR Fellowship

Internationally, people who are incarcerated tend to have poorer health than the general population, however, little is known about the health status of this population in Canada. Knowledge of the burden of disease of this population would make it possible to prioritize areas for intervention including public health interventions and health system changes. In this study, I will determine the mortality rate and causes of death for people who were incarcerated in provincial correctional facilities between 1995 and 1996, by linking with death certificate data from 1995 to 2011. I hypothesize that the age- and sex-specific mortality rates of people who have been incarcerated in provincial facilities in Ontario will be high relative to the general population in Ontario, and that in particular, the mortality rates due to preventable diseases such as hepatitis C, HIV, and unintentional injuries will be relatively high. This study will be used to inform where research and program development should be focused for incarcerated populations in Ontario and elsewhere in Canada. If the hypotheses are correct that the mortality rate is higher than for the general population and that a substantial proportion of deaths are from preventable causes, I will go on to develop interventions to prevent premature death and I will advocate for greater attention to the health of people who are incarcerated in Canada including more accessible and higher quality health services during and subsequent to incarceration.