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Abstract
Housing is Associated with Better Outcomes among Individuals Transitioning from Prison Setting to the Community
B Zack, J Myers, K Kramer, M Gardner
Centerforce, San Quentin, United States
Background: Individuals transitioning from prison settings into the community face challenges to establishing healthy lives on the outside, including threats to remaining HIV uninfected. Case management can facilitate linkages to community-based services, which in turn can ease barriers to health services. This study examined whether an intensive case management intervention provided as part of a U.S. demonstration project by the NGO Centerforce was successful in facilitating healthy behavior. We examined whether HIV risk and return to prison were reduced by receipt of a range of social services, including HIV prevention counseling.
Methods: Individuals were enrolled 2 months prior to release in three California prisons and received 5 months of intensive case management (pre and post release from prison). We assessed changes in HIV risk behavior, health status, receipt of a range of social services and return to prison or jail with two interviews, administered at one- and ten-weeks post release, and with reports from case managers. We compared 53 men's and 35 women's behavior prior to incarceration to behavior post-release.
Results: Securing housing, participating in job training and receipt of medical treatment were independently associated with program retention (p<.05). Housing was also associated with a lower likelihood of return to a correctional facility (p<.05). Receipt of prevention counseling was not independently associated with decreases in risk behavior. However, program participants reported greatly decreased drug and alcohol use and sex risk taking during program participation.
Conclusions: Participating in an intensive case management program appears to facilitative healthy behavior among individuals transitioning from prison settings to the community. Securing housing in particular is associated with better health outcomes in this population.
The XV International AIDS Conference
Abstract no.
ThPeC7478
Suggested Citation
" B Zack, et al.
Housing is Associated with Better Outcomes among Individuals Transitioning from Prison Setting to the Community
.
Poster Exhibition:
The XV International AIDS Conference:
Abstract no.
ThPeC7478"
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