I recently wrote an
article about the health of people leaving jails and prisons, and I learned several distressing facts:
- The risk of dying within two weeks of release from prison is nearly 13 times higher than that faced by other individuals even after adjusting for age, race, and sex.
- The risk of an opioid overdose is 40 times higher in the two weeks post-release compared with that faced by the general population.
- Incarcerated individuals are 1.5 times more likely to report a history of diabetes, asthma, or high blood pressure than those who have not been incarcerated and up to 5 times as likely to meet the threshold for serious psychological distress.
- Formerly incarcerated individuals are nearly 10 times more likely to face homelessness than the general public.
The implications are much greater than most people realize. An estimated 9.6 million people are released from U.S. jails and prisons each year. That's why post-incarceration health programs — many of which are run by academic medical centers — are working hard to serve this population.
Does your institution have such a program? Does your institution educate about the unique challenges of post-incarceration patients?------------------------------
Stacy Weiner
Senior Staff Writer
Association of American Medical Colleges
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