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Note: This report is available in its entirety in the Portable Document Format (PDF).
This research brief presents information about the health of male prisoners returning to Chicago, Illinois, after having been incarcerated in state prison. Prisoners nationwide are considered to be at higher risk for a range of chronic, infectious, and mental illnesses. This brief discusses the health status of soon-to-be released prisoners, the services they received in prison, and the health challenges they faced following release. Furthermore, this research examines the ways in which health may influence the reintegration process and offers recommendations for improved policy.
HEALTH STATUS OF SOON-TO-BE RELEASED PRISONERS
Male prisoners returning to Chicago generally held positive views of their health. Most respondents (86 percent) rated their health as excellent or good while they were still in prison. Despite these positive self-assessments, roughly 3 out of 10 respondents reported having a chronic physical or mental health condition—most commonly asthma (13 percent), high blood pressure (9 percent), depression or other mental health conditions (4 percent), and diabetes (2 percent)—and about one in 10 respondents felt their health problems limited their activities or ability to work. Respondents with health problems tended to be older than those without.
The actual prevalence of these health conditions is likely to be higher than what respondents stated. The research on prisoner health has shown that incarcerated persons tend to suffer from chronic, infectious, and mental illnesses at higher rates than the general population due, in part, to higher levels of socioeconomic disadvantage and substance use compared with the average American.1 National estimates of the prevalence of several diseases among incarcerated populations are presented in table 1.
Notes from this section
1. National Commission on Correctional Health Care. 2002. Chapter 3, "Prevalence of Communicable Disease, Chronic Disease, and Mental Illness" in The Health Status of Soon-to-be-Released Inmates: A Report to Congress, Vol. 1 (2002).
Note: This report is available in its entirety in the Portable Document Format (PDF).
The nonpartisan Urban Institute publishes studies, reports, and books on timely topics worthy of public consideration. The views expressed are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Urban Institute, its trustees, or its funders.
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