New BC study reveals the 2017 transfer of Correctional Health Services to PHSA reduced deaths

Health outcomes for people released from BC’s provincial correctional centres have improved since the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) assumed responsibility for health care services in 2017, with fewer deaths – particularly overdose deaths – among those released from custody.

The findings come from a new study led by researchers with BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services (BCMHSUS), the University of British Columbia (UBC), the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), and others. The study was published in the journal Health & Justice and is available online.

The objective of this new study was to estimate the association between the transfer of correctional health services in BC and deaths among formerly incarcerated people within one year of their release from prison. Researchers looked at all causes of death, while also focusing on toxic-drug related deaths, before and after the transfer period.

“Prison health governance is extremely important to the health of incarcerated people,” said Dr. Amanda Slaunwhite, the study’s lead author and scientific director, Correctional Health Services, BCMHSUS. “In jurisdictions around the world, health care services are usually provided by the same organizations that operate the correctional centres. This study demonstrates that health outcomes improve significantly when care is delivered by community health care organizations.”

After the transfer of correctional health services to PHSA, researchers found a statistically significant reduction in toxic-drug related deaths, and all other causes of death, in the first year after release from custody. Overdose deaths among incarcerated people declined from 2.7% to 1.7%, and all-cause deaths were reduced from 3.7% to 2.6%.

“Following the transfer of responsibilities to PHSA in 2017, a number of new care initiatives were introduced, such as the inclusion of new specialty nursing roles, improved client health and discharge planning, upgraded equipment, and improved mental health and substance use care, including expanded Opioid Agonist Therapy,” said Shannon Chutskoff, executive director, Correctional Health Services, BCMHSUS. “As work continues, our goal is to ensure incarcerated people receive the same quality of care that is available in the community, which benefits population health due to the high rates of substance use disorder and mental illness among incarcerated people in BC.”

The BC Ministry of Health assumed responsibility for the delivery of health care services in the 10 provincial correctional centres on Oct. 1, 2017. BC is one of four Canadian provinces and territories to transfer responsibility for correctional health care from their respective Ministry of Justice to their Ministry of Health. The transfer followed recommendations from the World Health Organization and United Nations that health ministries should provide health care services in correctional centres.