Illness and mortality
People who have been in prison are a marginalized group who have a high incidence of morbidity and an increased risk of premature death. The group has a particularly increased risk of dying from external causes such as accidents, overdoses and suicide, but research also finds an increased risk of dying from somatic diseases such as various forms of cancer and heart and lung diseases. Knowledge of these risks is important in order to offer good and correct treatment and to prevent premature death.
In the PriSUD project, we look at inmates' morbidity using patient registers, and we investigate the prevalence of various somatic diseases among inmates in Norwegian, Danish and Swedish prisons in the period 2010 to 2020. Mortality is also examined in all three countries, with special focus on deaths related to intoxication and addiction.
Publications on the topic
Tverborgvik, Torill., Stavseth, Marianne Riksheim & Bukten, Anne. The association between drug use and mortality in a norwegian prison cohort: a prospective cohort study. Health Justice 11, 22 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40352-023-00223-y
Bukten, Anne; Skjærvø, Ingeborg; Stavseth, Marianne Riksheim. "The association of prison security level with mortality after release from prison: a retrospective national cohort study (2000–16)". The Lancet Public Health, Volume 7, Issue 7 (2022), Pages e583-e592, doi: 10.1016/S2468-2667(22)00107-4.
Bukten, Anne, and Stavseth, Marianne Riksheim. "Suicide in Prison and after Release: A 17-Year National Cohort Study." European Journal of Epidemiology 36, no. 10 (2021): 1075-83.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-021-00782-0.
Borschmann, Rohan, Tibble, Holly, Spittal, Matthew J., Preen, David, Pirkis, Jane, Larney, Sarah, Rosen, David L., et al. "The Mortality after Release from Incarceration Consortium (Maric): Protocol for a Multi-National, Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis." International Journal of Population Data Science 5, no. 1 (2020).https://doi.org/10.23889/ijpds.v5i1.1145.
Bukten, Anne, Stavseth, Marianne Riksheim, Skurtveit, Svetlana, Tverdal, Aage, Strang, John, and Clausen, Thomas. "High Risk of Overdose Death Following Release from Prison: Variations in Mortality During a 15‐Year Observation Period." Addiction (2017).https://doi.org/10.1111/add.13803.
Bukten, A; Stavseth, MR; Skurtveit, S, Lund, IO; Clausen, T. Drug and health situation among inmates in correctional facilities. SERAF report, 2/2016 (pdf)