7.K. Workshop: The impact of COVID-19 response measures on health and healthcare for people in detention in Europe
Authors:   Organised by: WHO/Europe, EMCDDA, EUPHA-PHPP, EUPHA-IDC,   Chair persons: Carina Ferreira-Borges (WHO/Europe), Sofia Ribeiro (EUPHA-PHPP)
Published: October 2021

In the WHO European region alone, approximately 6 million people are incarcerated every year. Prison populations include many individuals belonging to socially deprived and marginalised communities and vulnerable groups such as women, older people, ethnic minorities, and foreigners, among others. Ensuring the right to health is a complex task, and the health status of people in detention (PiD) is often inferior to that of people who are not deprived of their liberty. Since the start of the Sars-CoV-2 pandemic, attention was called on the potential risk of COVID-19 outbreaks occurring inside prisons, and the impact on health and well-being of PiD. Proximity, overcrowding, infrastructural constraints and environmental circumstances pose PiD at higher risk of acquiring infection. The likelihood of COVID-19 introduction in detention facilities is notably high, due to high turnover, movement within prison and between prison and community of staff, PiD and external contacts (e.g. family/personal visits). COVID-19 prevention and control measures in prison settings, although heterogeneous across Europe, included: implementation of internal containment measures, including use of PPE and physical distancing, screening and testing followed by the establishment of internal quarantine zones and mechanisms of medical isolation and transfer of severe cases to hospital or specialised care, coupled with the introduction of non-custodial measures of incarceration and deployment of COVID-19 vaccines. While necessary, those measures impacted on the health status of PiD and on the internal prison organisation, including the provision of health services, as the already scarce resources were reduced or redirected towards mitigating the impact of COVID-19. Yet, the incidence of COVID-19 infections in prison has grown in the last months of 2020 in several European countries and there were reports of a general worsening of PiD mental health, including drug use disorders. COVID-19 pandemic calls on us to focus on the principle “prison health is public health” in order to protect the well-being of people in prison and the surrounding community, uphold equity and continuity of care whilst keeping a secure and safe environment.

The main objective of this workshop is to describe COVID-19 prevention and control interventions implemented in prison settings across Europe, and analyse their impact on SARS-CoV2 transmission, mental health of PiD in prison, including drug use disorders and provision of health interventions. The workshop will be structured in 5 presentations of 5-10 minutes each. Together, they will provide participants with an overview of prison health during the COVID-19 pandemic era at European level. Presentations will be followed by a moderated questions and answers session, and participants will be invited to take part in varied activities at the beginning, during and at the end of the workshop to foster interaction.

Key messages

COVID-19 control measures impacted on the internal prison organisation, provision of healthcare services and the health of people in detention, including mental health and drug use disorders. We call for heightened global attention to prison health as part of a comprehensive public health approach addressing health inequalities.