Introduction
The use of force by the police against detainees under custody can cause minor injuries. Although healthcare professionals and the criminal justice system place the greatest emphasis on preventing serious injuries and death, the safety and well-being of all detainees are the concern. This study is aimed at reviewing current practices for managing minor Injuries in police custody in the UK.
Summary of Studies
Two studies were identified during the search for evidence to address the topic. The first selected study is an article by McKinnon et al. (2016), which focuses on a review of current healthcare practices for detainees in the UK. This study was chosen because it provides a valuable overview of existing practices.
Although the article focuses on serious injuries and deaths due to the use of police force, the findings of the study can be applied to highlight the situation with minor injuries. In addition, the study provides important insights into the innovations taking place within prisoner health care, including a focus on the early identification of health problems.
The second selected study is the article by Bozeman et al. (2018), which examines the relationship between police use of force and the risk of serious injury to detainees. This study compares the risk of injury from police use of force and other methods of physical coercion. The researchers conclude that serious injuries resulting from the use of police force are rare.
Although the article focuses on major injuries and fatalities, the authors provide an overview of all the possible physical injuries that detainees most often suffer. This article also allows you to consider minor injuries that can be received under custody. The listed studies are quantitative, using numerical data to find correlations and describe characteristics.
The main philosophical underpinnings of the study are the positivist or post-positivist view of reality as a set of objective factors that can be measured. From this perspective, reality is objective and tangible, and its fragments can be described and measured. In the framework of this study, it is important to consider what practices apply to the management of minor injuries of detainees under custody. This factor emphasizes that it is necessary to consider the existing facts and produce their actual description.
Critical Analysis of Studies
The CASP tool for systematic reviews was used to critically appraise selected articles. As part of the study, a checklist of 10 questions was completed for each article, which focuses on assessing the study’s validity, results, and research applications. The article by McKinnon et al. (2016) is the most valuable within the framework of this study, according to CASP, since, in addition to valid data, it also provides outcomes that can be applied within the framework of a local study. The article by Bozeman et al. (2018) is also valid in its price results, but it is less relevant in application to local studies. In general, based on appraisal, it can be concluded that both articles are valuable for the study of the topic.
Research findings highlight that the use of police force in custody rarely results in serious injury. However, the prevalence of minor injuries is often not the focus of research and may also be overlooked by healthcare professionals. The medical staff mainly focuses on the management of serious injuries and the prevention of fatalities. Additionally, records of pre-arrest injuries are rarely kept, hindering the development of appropriate practices.
The articles’ limitations are the relatively small sample size and research based on secondary sources, which may affect the results’ applicability to different settings. Research findings will be used to expand research and seek information on individual cases of minor injuries and their management.
The costs of supporting the health of prisoners and freed criminals can significantly differ as more professional medical workers should take this responsibility. The research was taken from IMF, ProQuest, and JSTOR databases, and keywords like “prison” and “health” were used (Sridhar et al., 2018). The amount spent on criminals’ health in the UK is one of the highest in the world, and it is $6,714 (Sridhar et al., 2018). However, it rarely means that the system of prisoner protection is successful, and some problems continue to appear. For example, light injuries that can negatively influence health later are not taken into consideration by medical workers. Therefore, when severe health problems appear, the government significantly protects human life.
The Role of Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) in Addressing Injuries
The CASP tools for light injuries are not highly influential, but they are important in preventing the development of other related serious health problems. Systematic reviews can allow to make general checks of the criminals’ health and ensure that there are no slowly developing illnesses like HIV. When this problem appears, governments like the USA need to increase their investments in this sector (Spaulding et al., 2017). Moreover, qualitative research is an important CASP tool for light injuries to ensure that criminals with injuries are not suspected of serious problems.
Nevertheless, for wounds that are harsh and might cost a human life, more CASP tools should be considered by medical workers. For example, economic factors can influence the performance of the country, and the increasing number of deaths in prisons can show a poor economic situation and an inability to control all aspects of the government. Consequently, investments in medicine stay important when it comes to the health support of those who conduct criminal actions. Moreover, testing parallel health problems can help to predict the illnesses that might develop after competing for treatment over harsh injuries.
Medical workers with a lot of experience should start working with criminals, and they should understand the psychology of these people to avoid manipulation. Moreover, doctors should know their rights and be prepared to react correctly and legally, not become suspected of a patient’s offense. Medical experts must keep their emotions as the cases can be diverse. Additionally, to avoid extra costs, it is important to have knowledge in different areas of medicine and predict potential outcomes of light or harsh injuries.
Conclusion
In conclusion, police workers regularly encounter violence while coping with criminals, and they might face different types of injuries that are the responsibility of medical workers. Even though light injuries rarely influence the performance of police or healthcare specialists, it is important to monitor every case to ensure that further problems will not appear. However, more attention should be paid to serious injuries as they might affect the costs of treatment and the general performance of the government.
References
Bozeman, W., Stopyra, J., Klinger, D., Martin, B., Graham, D., Johnson, J., Mahoney-Tesoriero, K., & Vail, S. (2018). Injuries associated with police use of force. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 84(3), 466-472. Web.
McKinnon, I., Stuart, T., Noga, H., & Senior, J. (2016). Police custody health care: A review of health morbidity, models of care and innovations within police custody in the UK, with international comparisons. Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, 6(9), 213-226. Web.
Sridhar, S., Cornish, R., & Fazel, S. (2018). The costs of healthcare in prison and custody: Systematic review of current estimated and proposed guidelines for future reporting. Front Psychiatry, 9, 716. Web.
Spaulding, A. C., Anderson, E. J., & Khan, M. A. (2017). HIV and HCV in U.S. prisons and jails: The correctional facility as a bellwether over time for the community’s infections. PubMed, 19, 134-147. Web.
Appendix
Table 1 – Search Terms
Table 2 – Search Results
Total = 87 (prior to duplicate removal)
Duplicates = 1
Table 3 – Search Criteria