Correctional Medicine

Department of Family and Community Medicine

  • Course Information

    Course Number: RFCM660

    Prerequisites: Completion of one Phase 2 clerkship; security clearance

    Length of Time: 2 weeks

    Phase Availability: Phase 2 and Phase 3

    Credit Type: Open

    Call: No

  • Contact Information

    Program Director: Tricia Corrigan, FNP-BC

    Coordinator/Scheduling: Allison King (aking75@uic.edu)

    Location: Winnebago County Jail (650 W State St, Rockford, IL 61102)

Narrative Description: This two-week experience at the Winnebago County Jail will allow students to participate in the healthcare of Winnebago County inmates. It is important that students enrolling in this experience understand the elevated level of professionalism that will be demanded of them in the jail environment along with the increased importance of confidentiality. Students will also receive extensive experience with charting and entering/submitting orders.

Learning Objectives: The student who successfully completes this rotation will be able to:

  1. Explain the organization and financing of medical care in a correctional
  2. Describe the common medical and mental health conditions affecting adult and juvenile
  3. Describe what a drug formulary is and explain how it can be used to provide cost-effective
  4. Perform an initial medical evaluation of inmates at the time of

Learning Activities:

  1. The student will keep a journal, summarizing their daily activities and their personal observations & thoughts about the experience.
  2. Tour jail, paying particular attention to security measures as explained by corrections
  3. Observe and participate in medical and dental care of adult and juvenile
  4. Participate in assessment of inmates referred for mental health
  5. Participate in medical evaluations done at booking and triage of inmate
  6. Attend a session of mental health
  7. Develop a project (e.g. presentation, educational literature, ) pertinent to health care in a correctional facility. The project must be pre-approved by the supervising provider.

Method of Assessment:

  1. The supervising provider will evaluate the student’s performance in areas of professionalism, level of interest and clinical work, with additional input solicited from medical and corrections The comments will be incorporated in the student’s final evaluation.
  2. Student’s journal will be reviewed by a supervising
  3. Faculty/staff evaluations of the student’s project will be reviewed with scores and comments taken into consideration by the supervising provider when calculating the student’s final grade.

Required PREA Training:

On the first day of the rotation, the student is required to attend an onsite PREA (Prison Rape Elimination Act) training.

Required Reading:

  • Medicine and the epidemic of incarceration in the United States.
  • Rich JD, Wakeman SE, Dickman SL. N Engl J Med. 2011 Jun 2;364(22):2081-3.

General Scheduling:

  • Students are expected to report Monday-Friday, typically from 9-4pm.

Additional Resources:

Miscellaneous Information:

Student phone numbers will be shared with the site as a means of communication. The Program Director will contact students in the week prior to the rotation start date to discuss the first day expectations. Students need to review the information sent by the site and complete requirements prior to the start date. Failure to complete the requirements by the first day will result in being sent home. Failure to complete the requirements by the second day will result in the rotation being canceled.