Correctional Healthcare FAQs

The Eighth Amendment to the US Constitution establishes a prohibition against “cruel and unusual punishments”. This clause establishes a right to healthcare services for incarcerated persons, as denying necessary care and treatment would constitute a form of cruel and unusual punishment, and the right has been affirmed in the courts in landmark cases over the years. There are nationally recognized standards of care for correctional agencies and a couple of certifications correctional agencies can pursue to ensure adherence to recognized standards of care.

Mental health in corrections healthcare is addressed through assessments, therapy, medication management, and access to services provided by qualified mental health professionals from all disciplines (i.e., psychiatry, psychology, counseling, etc.). Incarcerated persons with serious mental illness represent a disproportionately high percentage of the overall incarcerated population, and correctional systems must offer adequate mental health staff and services to meet the complex needs of this population.

Correctional healthcare aims to provide safe and effective medical care to incarcerated individuals while maintaining the security and safety of the facility.

Delivering healthcare services in correctional settings is challenging and demanding due to the security systems in the facilities and nature of the population served. Some risks associated with correctional healthcare include the potential for violence, communicable diseases, limited resources, and challenges in coordinating care during inmate transfers.

The quality of healthcare in prisons can vary. However, organizations like Centurion strive to provide high-quality care by employing skilled healthcare professionals and implementing evidence-based practices.

Duties vary by role but can include providing routine and emergency care, medication management, chronic disease treatment, mental health therapy, discharge planning, infection control, training staff, and coordinating care with custody personnel. Most roles involve patient education and counseling as well. Our multidisciplinary teams implement targeted treatment plans while addressing challenges like healthcare ethics, patient distrust, resource limitations, and high medical complexity.

Correctional facilities implement stringent security protocols and specialized staff training to maintain a controlled, protected environment for healthcare personnel. With 24/7 correctional officer security, surveillance systems, controlled access, emergency alerts, protective gear, and collaboration with custody staff, Centurion team members can safely provide care to their patients. Correctional healthcare has often been referenced as being just as safe or safer than working in most other community healthcare settings.

Centurion Health recognizes that proper training and education is critical when preparing new team members to join our team. Although we require candidates to have the same educational background and professional credentials as they would in any healthcare setting, we also provide robust, ongoing training focused on the unique needs of this patient population. Topics like mental health, crisis intervention, trauma-informed care, addiction treatment, public health protocols, cultural sensitivity, and security procedures are all essential areas of training for our clinical staff. We invest heavily in supplementing our clinicians’ knowledge with specialized correctional instruction to set them up for success. Regular continuing education ensures they remain up-to-date on the latest clinical practices and challenges facing incarcerated patients.

No. You do not have to have corrections experience to join our team. Our team members come from a wide variety of healthcare backgrounds.

Centurion Health offers competitive pay and benefits packages to recruit and retain dedicated correctional healthcare professionals. Pay rates vary by contract, geographic area, and experience level. Connect with our Recruiting team for more details.

All full-time and some part-time Centurion Health team members are offered a total rewards package to include competitive pay, generous paid time off, paid holidays, health/dental/vision benefit options, 401k with company match, pet insurance, free CEUs, and much more! We also have a limited benefits offering for our part-time employees. Connect with our Recruiting team for more details.

Immediately after submitting your online employment application, you will receive a confirmation email that your application was successfully submitted for consideration. If selected for an initial phone screen, one of our experienced Recruiting team members will contact you via phone or email to schedule a time that is convenient for you. The interview process may also include a site interview, facility tour, and/or panel interview.

The length of the process varies by location and position. Our goal is timely and efficient selection of the best applicants to join our Centurion Health team. Candidates are updated throughout the process.

If we were unable to answer your questions in the information above, please email your questions to our Recruiting team at [email protected] and your question will be routed to the correct individual.