According to Colorado Dept. Of Corrections reports on incarcerated Coloradans with substance use and mental disorders at time of admission:
41% of men with mental illness
88% of women with mental illness
When I saw the actual numbers, I was disappointed but not surprised. Colorado ranks near the bottom for access to health care and mental health care. And this in a Democrat majority held legislature and executive branch. Curious.
Lawmakers prioritize alcohol over healthcare time and time again as you will see when I start to roll out more of the findings as I build out this site, which I hope will serve as a valuable resource for policy researchers and lawmakers who are serious about moving to health equity instead of just talking about it — or working against it as I learned real quick as conflict after conflict arose. The percentages of men and women incarcerated with substance use issues:
80% of men
78% of women
Addiction is a health care issue. Either all these sick people are in the wrong place or our state is funding the wrong institutions while our rural hospitals and clinics continue to struggle for funding and recruitment of health care professionals.
I learned too that a large number of the women are coming out of the Colorado Springs and Pueblo area.
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Many thanks to the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition for their help in locating this data.
Health Equity Colorado 