The Latest Research, Commentary, And News From Health Affairs
Thursday, October 28, 2021
Dear John,
A new Health Affairs Health Policy Brief dives deeper into the health of people reentering communities following incarceration.
Health & Incarceration
Mass incarceration in the United States is a public health crisis that disproportionately impacts communities of color. The reentry population—people released back to the community following incarceration—is sicker than the general population, faces barriers to accessing health care, and often experiences homelessness, unemployment, and a lack of social and family support.
A new Health Affairs Policy Brief dives deeper into the link between community reentry and health. Ebony Russ and coauthors provide an overview of research regarding the health outcomes and challenges associated with prior incarceration, a review of strategies currently used to support the health and well-being of the reentry population, and recommendations to improve health and justice outcomes.
"Criminal justice reform coupled with targeted upstream efforts—such as investment in criminal justice-based reentry programs, support for communities and the community health systems to which people return, and enhanced research evaluation of reentry programming—are necessary to mitigate the negative health impacts of mass incarceration," Russ and her coauthors argue.
Alongside the policy brief, two new Health Affairs Blog posts discuss unmet needs of people both entering incarceration and those released from incarceration and reentering communities.
David Rosen and Evan Ashkin discuss the legal needs of people formerly incarcerated, how these needs impact overall health and well-being, and the role of Medical Legal Partnerships in improving health.
Ethan Cohen and coauthors argue for universal adoption of the National Commission on Correctional Health Care guidelines to improve health care screening and management of chronic medical conditions upon admission to jail, to improve health outcomes both during and after incarceration.
Also, don’t miss October’s GrantWatch column by Lee L. Prina about how foundations all over the United States are funding efforts to improve mental health. For example, St. David's Foundation, which funds in central Texas, announced $1 million in grants for its Perinatal Safe Zone—Supporting Healthier Pregnancies Together initiative. Also, the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment is funding a campaign aimed at preventing suicide among veterans in Wisconsin.
The column
also includes results of previous funding, recent published work funded by foundations, and key personnel changes.
Also on Health Affairs Blog, Katie Keith discusses the 2022 Affordable Care Act Marketplace open enrollment period, which begins on November 1, 2021.
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