Book excerpt: The long-awaited, much-anticipated third edition of Standards for Health Services in Correctional Institutions is now available. The third edition of this book defines the scope of services that are necessary to provide adequate care, basing these standards upon principles of public health and constitutional standards developed through litigation. Previous editions of this book have been extraordinarily influential in this field. The book has been cited as the standard for jail and prison health services in state and federal court decisions. The new edition includes significant changes including expansion of both the mental health section and children and adolescents section. This important book contains rigorously prepared community standards, reflecting a health environment to which any community, but particularly a jail or prison community, is entitled. It sets standards of health care that are respectful of prisoner patients and require prison and jail based health care workers to view themselves as independent health care workers first and foremost. The new edition of this book is easy to use and has the most comprehensive and inclusive set of standards for health services in correctional institutions. It is an essential reference for anyone working or teaching in any capacity in the field of corrections.