U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Affordable Care Act: Implications for Public Safety and Corrections Populations

NCJ Number
240738
Author(s)
Susan D. Phillips, Ph.D.
Date Published
September 2012
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This report examines the effect that the Affordable Care Act will have on public safety and inmate populations in correctional facilities.
Abstract
This report provides a brief examination of the effects of implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on public safety and inmate populations in correctional facilities. The report looks at how the ACA will affect three areas: the number of people moving through the criminal justice system as a result of behaviors stemming from addictions and mental illness; changes to correctional health care expenditures as a result of improved continuity of care; and decreases in racial disparities in incarceration related to disparities in access to health care. The report briefly details how Medicaid expansion can result in expanded treatment for individuals with substance and mental health issues, reducing their risk of incarceration. The report also discusses how implementation of the ACA can reduce correctional health care expenditures. With more people having access to community-based care prior to incarceration, jails and prisons may see a decline in health care expenditures as inmates come in with fewer health care problems. In addition, the report discusses how increased access to treatment for mental illness and drug addiction provided by the ACA could lead to decreases in the risk of arrest and recidivism among minorities. Finally, the report notes that these expected improvements resulting from implementation of the ACA will depend on decisions that each State makes regarding Medicaid expansion, outreach to disadvantaged groups, and strategies for optimizing care. References