Learning from interactions with prisoners

During my first clinical year of medical school I (IS) was asked to perform an initial assessment of a patient in the emergency department; what I did not know was that the patient was a prisoner, in handcuffs, and accompanied by prison officers. It was the first time I had been involved in a prisoner’s care, and the staff had little advice to offer apart from advising me to stay close to the door. When taking a history from the patient about analgesic use and alcohol intake, the patient and prison guards all laughed, as analgesics (unless prescribed) and alcohol are both prohibited in prison.