This article examines the health of women in prison, taking into account social structures such as racism, classism, sexism, and the stigma of drug addiction in their daily lives. Women are the fastest growing segment of the criminal justice system and are entering the system with far greater health problems than men, but with less access to health services. Incarcerated women are disproportionately poor women of color who have experienced years of minority stress, drug addiction, violence, and abuse. The article identifies the need for better prison health services, increased access to substance abuse treatment, and a reconsideration of current drug policy and laws. There is a critical need to create broader community-health-oriented responses to the epidemic of drug addiction in our society. Such responses extend beyond individual risk factors for disease and address wider societal issues.
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