Two classes of prisoner patients represent different problems for the hospital. Prison or jail inmates are referred to the hospital because they need more care than the prison infirmary is able to provide. Persons under police custody, possibly following recent arrest, are the second class. Admission of prisoner patients adds two elements to the usual standard of care required of the hospital in relation to the other patients. The hospital must consider the possibility of prisoner patients behaving violently or harmfully and must take steps to protect the other patients. The three types of hazardous situations that could arise concerning the care of prisoner patients are examined: they could harm other patients directly, either physically or mentally; hospital employees, such as security personnel, could harm a patient as a result of security activities; or a guard, not in the employ of the hospital, could injure another patient. Suggestions are provided for managing prisoner patients, including developing policies and procedures that make the role and responsibility of each hospital employee clear. Additionally, long-term planning and training in the proper methods of handling prisoner patients are required.