Like some feverish character of in a Dostoyevsky novel, as a culture, we are obsessed with all things crime and punishment. Going to prison, being in prison, and life after prison are the topics dozens of television shows and movies. Illegal activity as entertainment? We’re in. Prisoners and prisoner biomedical issues for thoughtful, systematic research? Maybe not so much.

The need for scientific inquiry seems obvious: millions of people flow through the prison system each year, and based on health impact and health disparities for that group alone, you would think the research and medical communities would be paying close attention. There are some Read more