You might already know that people who find themselves in jail usually tend to have sure well being issues, like hepatitis C, HIV, and bronchial asthma. Perhaps you’ve written about these disparities earlier than—and requested your self the query behind this week’s submit: What’s one of the best ways to seek advice from people who find themselves in jail?
The plain selections—like “prisoners” or “convicts”—could appear okay at first. However these phrases have sturdy unfavorable connotations and have a tendency to obscure the truth that people who find themselves in jail are … nicely, individuals.
Even when the objectives of a fabric are constructive, any such dehumanizing language can have severe unfavorable penalties. It results in stereotyping and discrimination—which, in flip, could make it more durable for individuals to get jobs or discover housing after they’re launched from jail. You possibly can in all probability guess, expensive readers, how that impacts their well being and nicely-being.
Analysis has additionally proven that individuals who have been previously incarcerated usually tend to have poor psychological and bodily well being. To be clear, we’re not blaming these outcomes on terminology alone—however utilizing stigmatizing language can’t assist. So what’s a greater possibility?
Longtime readers know we’re huge followers of individuals-first language right here at We ❤ Well being Literacy Headquarters. For instance, we are saying “individuals with diabetes,” not “diabetics.” People-first can be the precise strategy when writing about incarceration. It will get the purpose throughout with out decreasing individuals to at least one a part of their id.
Preserve in thoughts that some people who find themselves in jail could use phrases like “prisoner”—and so they could desire that others do, too. Similar to so many questions in well being communication, one of the best ways to reply this one is to check your supplies along with your viewers!
So the subsequent time you end up writing (and testing your writing) about people who find themselves in jail—and even chatting about it in informal dialog—attempt these options on for measurement:
- As a substitute of “prisoners” or “inmates,” say “people who find themselves in jail”
- Slightly than “ex-offenders” or “ex-cons,” go together with “individuals who have been launched from jail”
- As a substitute of “convicts” or “felons,” attempt “individuals who have been convicted of crimes”
The underside line: Put individuals first to humanize language about people who find themselves in jail.