Prisoner health DSS

Identifying and definitional attributes

• Health, Superseded 28/04/2016

The Prisoner health Data Set Specification (DSS) describes data collected from all public and private prisons throughout Australia on prison entrants, prisoners who visit a prison clinic, prisoners who are taking repeat medication while in custody, prison clinic services and staffing levels. The data are used to report against the National Prisoner Health Indicators, assist in monitoring the health of prisoners and inform prisoner health service planning and delivery.

In this collection, public and private prisons include those administered by Corrective Services departments, including correctional facilities and remand centres. Excluded from the collection are periodic detention centres, court and police cells, juvenile detention centres, immigration detention centres, secure psychiatric facilities, military prisons, and home detention programs.

The Prisoner health DSS contains four component data set specifications:

Prison entrants DSS: describes data on all prisoners entering prison in the National Prisoner Health Census period. This includes demographics, mental health, chronic diseases, alcohol and other drug use, use of health services and pregnancy.

Prison clinic contact DSS: describes data from all visits by prisoners to the prison clinic during the National Prisoner Health Census period regarding the number of clinic contacts each prisoner made and the reason for clinic attendance.

Prisoners in custody repeat medications DSS: describes data on the category of repeat medications administered to prisoners on one day during the National Prisoner Health Census period.

Prison establishments DSS: describes data provided by prison clinic management regarding the services provided by prison clinics.

Collection and usage attributes

Prisoner and Prison Entrant

The National Prisoner Health Census consists of the following four questionnaires which are used to obtain data on prison entrants, prisoners who visit the prison clinic, use of repeat medications and prison establishments:

• Prison Entrants form
• Prisoners in Custody—Clinic Visits form
• Prisoners in Custody—Repeat Medications form
• Prison Establishment form.

Source and reference attributes

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) 2009. From corrections to community: a set of indicators of the health of Australia's prisoners. Bulletin no. 75. Cat. no. AUS 120. Canberra: AIHW

AIHW 2010. The health of Australia's prisoners 2009. Cat. no. PHE 123. Canberra: AIHW

Relational attributes