Justice-Involved Population
The justice-involved population is disproportionately male, minority and low income. Mental health conditions and substance use disorder are over-represented. Floridians with severe mental illness (SMI) are at increased risk of entanglement in the criminal justice system, with some estimates indicating 35% and 45% of those in jails and prisons have a history of mental health diagnoses. After being released Floridians lose access to healthcare services and frequently experience gaps in medications and treatment. Having a criminal record and societal stigma make it difficult for people to get jobs and housing, so many are at risk of becoming homeless. Strategies health centers use to successfully serve this population include:
- Coordination with jails and prisons
- Help from peers navigating the healthcare system
- Enrolling people in health insurance
- Linking inmates with food and housing organizations
Justice-Involved Population Resources
- Access to Mental Health Care and Incarceration Mental Health America
- After Prison, Healthy Lives Built on Access to Care and Community Health Affairs, October 2019
- Community health center establishes medical home for former Illinois, Cook County inmates University of Illinois Chicago, January 2019
- Incarceration Healthy People, 2020
- Incarceration and Health: A Family Medicine Perspective American Academy of Family Physicians, 2020
- Healthcare After Incarceration Urban Institute, February 2018
- Medicaid’s Evolving Role in Advancing the Health of People Involved in the Justice System Commonwealth Fund, November 2020
- Principles of Community-based Behavioral Health Services for Justice-involved Individuals: A Research-based Guide SAMHSA, March 2019
- Resource Guide: The Impact of Incarceration and Reentry on Community Health and Well-Being National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine
- “Service with open arms”: enhancing community healthcare experiences for individuals with a history of incarceration Health and Justice Journal, December 2019
- Stopping the Revolving Door: How Health Centers Can Serve Justice-Involved Populations Corporation for Supportive Housing and National Healthcare for the Homeless Council
- Strategies for Connecting Justice-Involved Populations to Health Coverage and Care Urban Institute Health Policy Center and Justice Policy Centers, March 2018
- What Does Health Justice Look Like for People Returning from Incarceration? American Medical Association Journal of Ethics, September 2017
Related FACHC Webpages
For more information, contact Erin Sologaistoa at [email protected]
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