SJC Exchange Library

Originally posted by Wanda Bertram on 10/31/2025

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Hi friends,

Earlier this week, the Prison Policy Initiative released a briefing explaining how rural hospital closures - a result of the budget bill - will impact hundreds of thousands of incarcerated people held in facilities in rural areas. We estimate that 783,000 people in prisons and 168,000 people in local jails are held in rural counties, and stand to be hit by the anticipated closure of hospitals in these areas.

We explain how:

• People in prisons and jails experience many health conditions at outsized rates that make offsite hospitals critical to their care.

• Prisons and jails already face enormous healthcare costs that will undoubtedly increase as nearby rural hospitals close.

• While the impact of the pending Medicaid cuts on public health is already well known, effects on the incarcerated population will compound the damage.

• Worsening healthcare in rural communities, meanwhile, is likely to lead to higher incarceration rates in those very communities.

Our briefing includes 50-state appendix tables showing how many incarcerated people in every state are in rural counties, as well as infographics showing which states are likely to see the greatest impact to incarcerated people.

I hope it is useful in your work!