For most medical conditions, incarcerated inmates receive care that is equal to, if not better, than what is available to the average American. I think so, anyway. Often, in fact, inmates have easier access to medical services and receive even more attention and more care than their un-incarcerated counterparts.
For some reason, though, one exception to this general rule is hernia repairs. Some correctional facilities seem to have a policy, whether official or unofficial, that they will not approve hernia repair unless they absolutely have to.
Instead, I will argue that repairing hernias early in their course is both good medical practice and also cost-effective medical policy. Bonus!
