Mortality and Morbidity Among Persons Deprived of Liberty During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Brazil

Lins-Rocha, Matheus; Lins-Kusterer, Liliane; Menezes, José; Melo, Ailton

Dear Editor: In Brazil, persons deprived of liberty (PDL) have a high risk of COVID-19 infection due to the overcrowded and deficiently ventilated cells, restricted access to basic sanitation, and a lack of health units.1 Brazilian health services in prisons should be distributed according to the prison population and organized following the national primary care model, achieving the universality of the Unified Health System and guaranteeing the constitutional right to health for prisoners.2 Brazilian prisons present considerable challenges for the implementation of preventive health policies. A retrospective study analyzed data from the Brazilian Penitentiary statistical information system (INFOPEN),3 for the State of Bahia, Brazil, concerning periods before (second half of 2019) and at the beginning of (first half of 2020) the COVID-19 pandemic. Public Policies for PDL need to be effective in reducing the number of crimes or enabling the reintegration of prisoners into society.