National Policy for Comprehensive Health Care for Persons Deprived of Liberty in the Prison System: An analysis of normative evolution

Objective: To verify the normative changes brought by the National Policy for Integral Attention to the Health of Persons Deprived of Liberty in the Prison System established by Interministerial Ordinance n. 1, of January 2, 2014, in relation to the National Health Plan Penitentiary System, established through Interministerial Ordinance n. 1.777, dated september 9, 2003, based on the state of the art description of health care in prisons. Method: A qualitative, analytical-descriptive study based on documentary, legislative, and bibliographical research was developed that focused on two fundamental milestones of public health policies within the prison system: the Plan (2003) and the Policy (2014). Result: The Policy was born from the evaluation of a decade of application of the Plan, when it was verified the exhaustion of this model, which was restricted because it did not contemplate in its actions, among other aspects, the entire prison itinerary. Conclusion: The 12 year experience of the National Plan inspired the formulation and implementation of the Policy, bringing advances in the access of people deprived of their liberty in the prison system to integral care in SUS.