The principle of "least eligibility" suggests that prison conditions, including the delivery of healthcare, must be a step below those of the working class and people on welfare. In reference to

this principle, discuss the following: 1. Should inmates be provided with free medical care that is not available to law-abiding citizens because of cost? Why or why not? 2. Would you support a ballot proposal to formalize the principle of "least eligibility" as law in your state? Why or why not? Your initial post should be at least 220 words in length. Remember to support your posting by citing your sources and including a working link to them if available. Sources other than your textbook or course-provided articles or resources will earn the highest scores. Your initial post should be a detailed full paragraph of at least 220 words. All posts should be thorough, well written, and relevant to the discussion topic. Minimal use of direct quotations expected; the majority of each post should be in your own words. You are expected to do outside research to inform and support your posts. Citing two outside source is required (other than the textbook or resources within the course). Use APA style for citations including "in text" citings (include page numbers), and all outside references. Textbook Citation: Schmalleger, F. (2020). Corrections in the 21st Century (9th ed.). McGraw-Hill Higher Education (US). https://ccis.vitalsource.com/books/9781260805321/nTextbook excerpts that apply: Page 349: The final reason is that the courts have rejected the idea that the level and quality of health care available to prisoners must be the same as is available to society at large.18 This falls under the principle of least eligibility- the belief that prison conditions, including the delivery of health care, be a step below those of the working class and people on welfare. Thus, prisoners are denied access to medical specialists, timely delivery of medical services, technologically advanced diagnostic techniques, the latest medication and drug therapies, up-to-date surgical procedures, and second opinions. principle of least eligibility: The requirement that prison conditions including the delivery of health care-must be a step below those of the working class and people on welfare. Page 359: A number of states have also made a concerted effort to enroll eligible prisoners in Medicaid so that the program can be billed for qualifying health services, which are limited to the care delivered outside of prison, such as at an offsite hospital or nursing home, when the inmate has been admitted for more than 24 hours. States can obtain federal Medicaid reimbursement that/nstate. States expanding their Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act may reap the largest savings. States may also assist eligible inmates leaving prison with their enrollment in Medicaid or new health insurance marketplaces, helping to preserve the continuity of health care treatments between prison and the community. However, as mentioned earlier, while Medicaid can help states save on the cost of prisoner medical care, states' future ability to use the program may be in doubt as a result of government efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. Page 360: Special difficulties related to HIV/AIDS among prison populations include privacy issues, disruption of the prison routine due to the frequency of taking medication, inmate distrust of the medical and legal systems, fear of side effects, and the legal dilemma embodied in the principle of least eligibility.