Becoming Institutionalized: Incarceration as a Chronic Health Condition
Abstract
This article examines incarceration as a chronic condition with social, biological, and psychological elements. We do so through the lens of “institutionalization,” a concept that emerged during interviews conducted with 26 people incarcerated in Washington state prisons as a chronic and often disabling state resulting from prolonged incarceration. We argue that institutionalization helps conceptualize how the social inequities of mass incarceration become embodied as health inequities, and how social harms become physical harms. [prison, incarceration, institutionalization, chronic, inequality]
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Criminal institutionalization isolates individuals from opportunities to socialize.
“Likewise, prior research has argued that criminal institutionalization isolates individuals from opportunities to socialize, increases exposure to infections and viruses, and puts many at risk for physical violence (Crane & Pascoe, 2021).”
From A Scoping Review of the Relationships Between Cash Bail, Failure to Appear, Re-Arrest, Health and Well-Being, Race, and Gender (2026) · cites this paper as Crane & Pascoe, 2021
Criminal institutionalization increases exposure to infections and viruses.
“Likewise, prior research has argued that criminal institutionalization isolates individuals from opportunities to socialize, increases exposure to infections and viruses, and puts many at risk for physical violence (Crane & Pascoe, 2021).”
From A Scoping Review of the Relationships Between Cash Bail, Failure to Appear, Re-Arrest, Health and Well-Being, Race, and Gender (2026) · cites this paper as Crane & Pascoe, 2021
Criminal institutionalization puts many at risk for physical violence.
“Likewise, prior research has argued that criminal institutionalization isolates individuals from opportunities to socialize, increases exposure to infections and viruses, and puts many at risk for physical violence (Crane & Pascoe, 2021).”
From A Scoping Review of the Relationships Between Cash Bail, Failure to Appear, Re-Arrest, Health and Well-Being, Race, and Gender (2026) · cites this paper as Crane & Pascoe, 2021
Cites
The Dose–Response of Time Served in Prison on Mortality: New York State, 1989–2003
Patterson, E. J. (2013) · American Journal of Public Health · doi:10.2105/ajph.2012.301148 · Cited by 228 · cited 1× · see citing works
“And yet, one study of New York parolees found that individuals lost approximately two years of life for each year spent in prison (Patterson 2013).”
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The Carceral State: An American Story
Khan, A. (2022) · Annual Review of Anthropology · doi:10.1146/annurev-anthro-041420-013930 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Scheadler, T. R., Radney, A., Smith, B. L., Munshi, A., & Cole, E. (2026) · American Journal of Criminal Justice · doi:10.1007/s12103-025-09860-5 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“Likewise, prior research has argued that criminal institutionalization isolates individuals from opportunities to socialize, increases exposure to infections and viruses, and puts many at risk for physical violence (Crane & Pascoe, 2021).”
- Authors
- Crane, J. T., & Pascoe, K.
- Affiliations
- Albany Medical College (US)
- Washington State University Vancouver (US)
- Corresponding author
- Crane, Johanna T.
- Venue
- Medical Anthropology Quarterly
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2020-11-11
- Volume
- 35
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 307-326
- ISSN
- 0745-5194 (ISSN-L)
- 1548-1387
- OpenAlex
- W3098241240
- Cited by
- 25
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 4
- FWCI
- 2.34
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Medical Anthropology Quarterly (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis
- Social Sciences › Law › Criminal Justice and Penology
- Social Sciences › Education › Education Discipline and Inequality
- Keywords
- incarceration, institutionalization, chronic disease, health disparities, mass incarceration, social inequities, embodiment, psychological harm, personal injury
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Chronic Disease, Humans, Institutionalization, Male, Middle Aged, Prisoners, Prisons, Washington, Healthcare Disparities, Anthropology, Medical
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