The health care services arranged for prisoners are generally equal to those arranged for civilians. A prisoner must have a real possibility to promote his or her health, prevent illnesses and receive adequate health care services. In prison, the aim is to contribute to a prisoner’s coping in freedom also by means of health care.

Each prison has at least one nurse and a physician’s practice at least once a week. Most prisons have facilities for dental care. The Act on the Status and Rights of Patients (785/1992) also applies to the health care of prisoners. Thus, the health care personnel are obligated to secrecy also regarding the other prison personnel.

The state of health and the working capacity of a prisoner are assessed in an arrival examination conducted by a nurse and, if necessary, by a physician. For personal hygiene, the prisoner receives a so-called basic hygiene pack containing, among other things, disinfection and dental care kit.

When needed, necessary measures are taken to provide a prisoner appropriate examination and treatment. Prisoners requiring somatic hospital care are usually sent to the Prison Hospital in Hämeenlinna. In emergency cases and when specialist services are needed, public and private services can be used.

The Health Care Unit of the Criminal Sanctions Agency is obligated to ensure necessary dental care, which is necessary in order to treat an illness or prevent considerable damage. The first aid treatment of an acute dental disease is always paid for by the Health Care Unit. Providing other dental care at the expense of the Health Care Unit is discretionary and dependent on, among other things, the length of the sentence and the prisoner’s possibility to earn income.

The medication of a prisoner is decided by a physician or dentist of the Prison Health Care Services after stating the needs of the patient. A nurse can give some medicines which do not require a prescription. Some basic medicines can also be kept in the accommodation wards where supervision personnel can give them for occasional need. Other medicines (including those which a prisoner has been allowed to acquire at his or her own expense) are kept in the medicine cupboard of the polyclinic. A prisoner cannot possess the medicines he or she has brought with him or her. The physician considers whether or not to continue medication prescribed before imprisonment or in some other prison.

YEAR 2009

• 225 treatment periods in Prison Hospital
• 10 559 inpatient treatment days in Prison Hospital
• 374 treatment periods in Prison Mental Hospital
• 13 685 inpatient treatment days in Prison Mental Hospital