Incarceration during a pandemic: A catalyst for extending the conceptual terrain of occupational deprivation

Previous occupational science and occupational therapy literature has framed the consequences of occupational deprivation in relation to its long-term health and societal effects; however, the COVID-19 pandemic has illuminated the swift and life-threatening repercussions of occupational deprivation and the structural factors that perpetuate it for marginalized populations. In this discussion paper, we show how the intentional design of prisons around occupational deprivation has made incarcerated individuals particularly vulnerable to infection during the COVID-19 pandemic. We argue that public health recommendations designed to control the spread of disease, which require people to adapt their occupations and engage in health preserving occupations, conflict with the structure of prisons. On that basis, we propose the need for a broader understanding of occupational deprivation and the life-threatening effects it can have. We further argue for an expansion of existing conceptualizations to consider the immediacy of the consequences of occupational deprivation. We suggest that this more comprehensive understanding will provide a stronger foundation and greater urgency for advocacy efforts aimed at making structural changes.