Reaching Seriously At-Risk Populations: Health Interventions in Criminal Justice Settings

More than 6 million people are under some form of criminal justice supervision in the United States on any given day. The vast majority are arrested in and return to urban, low-income communities. These are men, women, and adolescents with high rates of infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, other se...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health education & behavior 1998-02, Vol.25 (1), p.99-120
Main Authors: Hammett, Theodore M., Gaiter, Juarlyn L., Crawford, Cheryl
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Access to Health Care
Adolescent
Adult
AIDS/HIV
At Risk Persons
Communicable Disease Control - organization & administration
Communicable Diseases
Community Relations
Community Services
Correctional Institutions
Criminals
Cultural Differences
Drug Use
Female
Females
Health care
Health education
Health Promotion
Health Services Needs and Demand
HIV Infections - prevention & control
Humans
Institutionalized Persons
Intervention
Juvenile Justice
Law enforcement
Low Income
Male
Medical Services
Numbers
Opportunities
Primary Health Care
Prisoners
Prisons
Sanctions
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Social Problems - prevention & control
Substance Abuse
Suicide
Supervision
United States
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Summary:More than 6 million people are under some form of criminal justice supervision in the United States on any given day. The vast majority are arrested in and return to urban, low-income communities. These are men, women, and adolescents with high rates of infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and tuberculosis as well as substance abuse and other health problems. A review of recent literature indicates that an increasing problem for these populations is that they have had little prior access to primary health care or health interventions, and many are returning to their communities without critical preventive health information and skills, appropriate medical services, and other necessary support. Periods of incarceration and other criminal justice supervision offer important opportunities to provide a range of health interventions to this underserved population, and general evaluations show the potential for this strategy. Public health and criminal justice agencies have the expertise and should collaborate to provide interventions needed by incarcerated populations. Moreover, many recently released inmates require primary care for HIV/AIDS, other STDs, and TB. Consequently, timely discharge planning is essential, as are linkages with community-based organizations and agencies that can provide medical care, health education, and necessary supportive services.
ISSN:1090-1981
1552-6127
DOI:10.1177/109019819802500108