Involuntary Injection in Jail
A significant number of individuals entering the correctional system have serious mental health or substance abuse disorders. Not only does this lead to stress for these detainees, but it also leads to stress on correctional and medical staff. Staff can become so overwhelmed that they ask:
“Can’t you just give them something to calm them down?”
As a general rule, the answer is no. The jail medical team should not give injections because practitioners develop a doctor-patient relationship with detainees, and administering medicine without consent can be an ethics violation.
A practitioner does not have the authority to give medication simply to subdue a patient. That is called chemical restraint and should not be used by jail practitioners. Practitioners can prescribe medications to help treat the symptoms of a psychotic break or similar situation when it is clinically indicated. A detainee who suddenly begins to act erratically or is confused or disoriented may be experiencing a medical emergency known as delirium. A person experiencing delirium is not fit for confinement and should be transported to the hospital. There are many different types of injections, and the hospital can determine the most appropriate option.
If the security team is unable to safely transport the detainee, EMS should be called to take over the situation and determine the most appropriate treatment.
Don’t just return a detainee to their cell after they’ve received an involuntary injection. The detainee should be re-evaluated for fitness for confinement. Security is paramount in the jail environment. It may be more appropriate to house them in a hospital.
For more information, please contact training@sparktraining.us.
Disclaimer
All materials have been prepared for general information purposes only. The information presented should be treated as guidelines, not rules. The information presented is not intended to establish a standard of medical care and is not a substitute for common sense. The information presented is not legal advice, is not to be acted on as such, may not be current, and is subject to change without notice. Each situation should be addressed on a case-by-case basis. When in doubt, send them out!®