摘要：Most incarcerated individuals will return to the community, and their successful reentry requires consideration of their health and how their health will affect their families and communities. We propose the use of a prevention science framework that integrates universal, selective, and indicated strategies to facilitate the successful reentry of men released from prison. Understanding how health risks and disparities affect the transition from prison to the community will enhance reentry intervention efforts. To explore the application of the prevention rubric, we evaluated a community-based prisoner reentry initiative. The findings challenge all involved in reentry initiatives to reconceptualize prisoner reentry from a program model to a prevention model that considers multilevel risks to and facilitators of successful reentry. The economic and social costs of incarceration necessitate efforts to promote successful reintegration into the community. Changes in sentencing, release, and community supervision policies and practices have led to an increase in prison populations, overrepresentation of people of color in correctional facilities, and a subsequent increase in the number of individuals returning to the community from prison (D. M. G., L. N.W., and W. D., unpublished manuscript, March 2007). 1 Ninety-five percent of the more than 2 million adults who are incarcerated in the United States will be released from prison, 2,3 and most will face a variety of reintegration challenges. Those who are at highest risk for unsuccessful return to the community are single men of color who do not participate in educational or vocational courses in prison, do not seek or do not obtain employment following release, have a history of substance abuse, and are repeat offenders. 4–6 A critical component of this profile is insufficient resources, opportunities, and supports. When individuals are not adequately supported in their transitions, the impact is significant for them, their families, the community, and the criminal justice system. One of the unintentional consequences of incarceration is the impact on the health and functioning of those incarcerated and their social networks. 7–10 Because men of color are disproportionately incarcerated, the health and social effects of incarceration are particularly devastating in these communities. 10–12 Thus, addressing prison reentry is an essential strategy to address health disparities and increase health equity. Any intervention focusing on health for these communities must consider the role of incarceration in the observed differences in morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, increasing the health of formerly incarcerated men can positively affect the health of the communities to which they return. 13 Recognizing the barriers faced by the formerly incarcerated, some have called for interventions that specifically target those risks. 10,13–16 The transition from prison to the community presents a unique opportunity for prevention efforts to address the needs of formerly incarcerated individuals, including their health-related needs. We propose applying a prevention science framework to reentry initiatives to reduce the barriers to reintegration and the physical, mental, and emotional health risks that formerly incarcerated men face. We present observations from an ongoing evaluation of a pilot reentry program to illuminate strengths and areas of development for recidivism prevention initiatives. We also offer recommendations for strengthening the ability of reentry initiatives to facilitate the successful reentry of individuals returning to the community from prison.
