Inmates Refusal of Medications Essay

Inmates’ Refusal of Medications Essay

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Inmates’ Refusal of Medications Essay

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An inmate’s right to refuse treatment is a legal and ethical issue that nurses working in a correctional environment sometimes experience. The right to refuse treatment and the state’s power to enforce treatment are both highly charged legal and political issues and have gained attention in state and local courts.[Order Now]

The issue of forced medication and competence to stand trial is of particular concern. The legal and ethical principles that guide forced treatment against the will of an inmate have historically been potential safety issues toward self or others in the environment. The Supreme Court decision in Harper v. Turner in 1987 permits the violation of the rights of the incarcerated so long as the prison policy is reasonably related to repressing violence within the prison system (Black, 2008).

Unlike in nursing practice with the general population, prison inmates who refuse health care do not leave the facility and return home. Nurses practicing in correctional facilities continue to provide care and address the consequences of an inmate’s refusal of treatment.

For example, an inmate who refuses to adhere to treatment protocols for schizophrenia may affect the safety of the environment and in fact create a “ripple effect,” thus undermining prisoner administration (LGIT, 2009). Nurses are obliged to treat any resultant health issues. However, individuals who are incarcerated by the state have a constitutional right to refuse and receive health care. Nurses practicing in correctional settings must recognize that involuntary medical treatment is undertaken after internal review and judicial proceedings; however, a hearing is not necessary.[Order Now]

Inmates’ Refusal of Medications Essay

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