Prison Health Care Services and the Protection of Inmate Rights: A Case Study of Monrovia Central Prison, Liberia

The study focused on examining the relationship between prison health care service provision and protection of inmate rights using the case of Monrovia Central Prison in Liberia. The study investigates how access to medical care, the treatment of diseases, and the availability of health information for prisoners influence the realization of inmates' fundamental health rights. Simple random sampling was used for the selection of the 150 inmates for the study, while purposive sampling was used to determine the 28 key informants who constituted the qualitative sample. Quantitative data analysis was based on 127 questionnaires that were complete / retrieved for the study. The findings revealed an overall low satisfaction with prison health care services, with mean scores falling within the "disagree" range on key indicators such as access to medical care (mean = 2.48), ongoing treatment (mean = 2.46), and access to health information (mean = 2.42). Respondents also expressed significant dissatisfaction with the extent to which healthcare provision upholds inmates' rights (mean = 1.89). Qualitative interviews echoed these findings, highlighting concerns such as delays in treatment, limited availability of medication, and inadequate communication about health conditions. Despite these concerns, a statistically significant and moderately strong positive correlation (r = 0.60, p < 0.01) was found between the quality of health care services and the protection of inmate rights. Regression analysis further confirmed this relationship, showing that improvements in health care provision positively predict increased rights protection (β = 0.439, p = 0.000). These findings suggest that strengthening prison health systems is critical to advancing the health rights and overall dignity of incarcerated individuals. Based on the findings, the study recommends that the prison administration enhance healthcare services by improving access to medical care, strengthening illness prevention strategies, and ensuring inmates are adequately informed about their health status. The implementation of routine health examinations and timely medical interventions is essential for safeguarding inmates' health rights.