Salute attraverso le sbarre : percorsi di cura tra carcere e territorio

This article presents a study on consequences of the Italian prison health care reform in rela-tion to the issue of prisoners' continuity of care. The research relies on qualitative data collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with 25 health care professionals working in eight prison facilities in northern Italy. From data analysis three themes particularly relevant for the research question emerged.

The first theme concerns the difficulties in managing the specific needs of detained patients; the second concerns the role of the National Healthcare System for the most vulnerabilized prisoners; and the last explore the relationship between prison and local health services after prison release. Results highlight some critical issues in the treatment of detained patients and in the relationship between prisons and local health ser-vices. The role of this issues in hindering continuity of care for the prison population are critically discussed. [Publisher's text]