Incarcerated people have a constitutional right to adequate medical care under the Eighth Amendment prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. In practice, the quality of medical care varies significantly across facilities and the gap between what the law requires and what inmates actually receive can be substantial. This section covers how medical care works inside federal and state facilities, how to request medical attention, what to do when medical needs are ignored or inadequately addressed, how to get medications approved and delivered to an incarcerated loved one, and what legal options exist when medical care falls below constitutional standards. The questions answered here come from families who are watching a loved one's health deteriorate inside and from inmates trying to navigate a system that does not always prioritize their well-being. Advocacy from the outside matters and this section explains how to exercise it effectively. See also our sections on Prison Discipline and Emergencies and Natural Disasters.