Rutgers Honors College × University Correctional Healthcare
Care that doesn't stop at the cell door.
A student-led study of how New Jersey's correctional system cares for the people inside it — across sleep, mental health, pharmaceuticals, women's health, and the return to work and community.
JULY 2022
The study
The first program of its kind in the country.
Through the Rutgers Honors College and i.d.e.a. partnership with University Correctional Healthcare, six undergraduate researchers spent a summer alongside clinicians inside New Jersey's correctional system — then turned what they learned into a multi-domain study of inmate health.
Correctional medicine sits at the intersection of the social and economic challenges facing the country. Many people inside come from low-income backgrounds, live with substance use disorders, and carry untreated mental illness. This report asks a direct question: how well does the system care for them, and where does that care fall short?
Five research areas
What we looked at — and who led it.
Sleep
Why constant light, noise, and early wake-ups keep people from sleeping — and the interventions that actually help.
Pharmaceutical access
How medication reaches people inside, and where a four-year reassessment cycle leaves prescriptions outdated.
Mental health
Screening at intake is fast; the follow-through during a sentence and the handoff home are where care thins out.
Workforce development
Turning prison jobs and training into genuine preparation for work — and lower recidivism — after release.
Women's health & menstrual equity
Dignity, safety, and access to basic care for women inside, and clear policy on menstrual products.
The core finding
The most consistent problem isn't a single failure — it's one of cadence and continuity. Care shows up at intake and in crises; the intervals in between, and the return home, are where it erodes.
— Justice Health Research Team
The team
Six undergraduate researchers.
Sponsored by Dr. Arthur Brewer, MD, CCHP, Statewide Medical Director at University Correctional Healthcare. Founded by Mansi Shah, who established the program with Dr. Brewer and Honors College staff.
Read the full report
The complete study, findings, and recommendations.
A comprehensive examination of correctional facility health issues in New Jersey, with recommendations for improved outcomes.