**7. Conclusion**

In this chapter we bring together some of the core issues affecting the safety of care for incarcerated persons. These issues typically begin far earlier than the person's incarceration, in the social determinants of health which affect their communities, families and themselves disproportionately. On entering incarceration, the risk of ill health increases. The provision of safe, quality health care therefore is not just a question of addressing the existing health conditions of inmates, but also of ensuring that they are not exposed to additional iatrogenic harm, as has been the case during the COVID pandemic.

While the literature is somewhat limited, the studies and frameworks which are available provide a clear direction in terms of improving the existing quality of care for people who are incarcerated. Most importantly they point to the need to understand the unique history, context and health risks faced by incarcerated people, both prior and subsequent to their incarceration. Finally, the growing literature on

carcerality itself points to new ways of examining and theorising the health effects, both short and long term, of the incarceration experience. This in turn suggests the opportunity for an expanding cross-disciplinary research and knowledge development base as key concepts and tools are applied to a growing variety of carceral environments.
