The Intersection of Hospital Disposition and Incarceration.

This article examines the ethical challenges hospital-based clinicians face when facilitating medically safe disposition for incarcerated patients, focusing on the principles of justice, respect for persons, and care as outlined by Campelia et al. It highlights how structural inequities, limited pat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American Journal of Bioethics Vol. 26; no. 6; pp. 76 - 80
Main Authors: Chattopadhyay, Anurima, Karel, Daniel
Format: commentary Journal Article
Published: Taylor & Francis Ltd Jun2026
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
Description
Summary:This article examines the ethical challenges hospital-based clinicians face when facilitating medically safe disposition for incarcerated patients, focusing on the principles of justice, respect for persons, and care as outlined by Campelia et al. It highlights how structural inequities, limited patient autonomy due to incarceration, and constrained support systems complicate clinicians’ efforts to ensure safe transitions back to carceral facilities. The article emphasizes the legal and institutional barriers that reduce clinicians’ control over disposition decisions and the importance of preserving incarcerated patients’ autonomy within these constraints. It also discusses the difficulties in establishing trusting clinician-patient relationships and securing adequate post-discharge support for incarcerated individuals.