Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Futurity

    Men need these social resources after prison

    More than 1.5 million people go to federal and state prisons each year, and about 700,000 get out. Here's what they need for successful reentry.
    by Patti Verbanas-Rutgers Mar 20, 2019 1 minute
    exit sign in cage on wall, purple light

    Men released from prison who receive social, community, and spiritual support have better mental health, research shows.

    A new study finds that former offenders, particularly those of color, who had access to and used social resources also experienced a more successful reentry back into society than those who did not.

    The findings suggest that without such supports, incarcerated men could face significant challenges as they try to regain their lives.

    More than 1.5 million people go to federal and state prisons each year and about 700,000 people get out.

    “Inmates are 10 times more likely to suffer from antisocial personality disorder and two to four times more likely to suffer from psychotic illnesses and major depression,” says Pamela Valera, assistant professor at the Rutgers University School of Public Health.

    “When these inmates, especially those of color, are released, they enter a world with weak support networks that do not allow them to get the assistance that they need to reintegrate or seek mental health treatment.

    “It is well established that people who have stable support systems are better positioned to accomplish a successful reentry and maintain a sense of well-being and better mental health.”

    The study is significant to the conversations taking place throughout the country on mass incarceration and criminal justice reform, Valera says.

    “Improving social supports is more important than ever as the rate of former offenders is growing. There are currently more than 100 million Americans who have a criminal record,” she says.

    “We need to involve personnel inside the criminal justice system, such as prison staff and community reintegration offices, in providing and encouraging the use of social, community and religious support services for inmates upon reentry.”

    The study appears in the International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology.

    Source: Rutgers University

    The post Men need these social resources after prison appeared first on Futurity.

    More from Futurity

    Futurity3 min read
    Young Heavy Drinkers Cut Alcohol Use During Pandemic
    A new study finds heavy-drinking young adults decreased alcohol intake during the pandemic. The researchers found alcohol use and alcohol-related problems substantially decreased in heavy-drinking young adults during the pandemic, and these decreases
    Futurity4 min read
    Alzheimer’s Moves Faster In People With Down Syndrome
    A new study shows that Alzheimer’s disease both starts earlier and moves faster in people with Down syndrome, The finding may have important implications for the treatment and care of this vulnerable group of patients. Nearly all adults with Down syn
    Futurity5 min read
    Why Saber Tooth Cats Kept Their Baby Teeth
    Analysis suggests the baby teeth of saber tooth cats stayed in place for years to stabilize the growing permanent saber tooth, perhaps allowing adolescents to learn how to hunt without breaking them. The fearsome, saber-like teeth of Smilodon fatalis

    Related Books & Audiobooks