Meeting the Health Needs of Postincarcerated Women: How Welcome Home Ministries Helps Bridge the Gap and Implications for Public Health Professionals

Abstract

The marginalized population of newly released women inmates displays higher incidences of viral infections, mental illnesses, and chronic diseases (Wilper et al.). Current research has indicated that these health needs are not met during or after incarceration (Wilper et al.). Among other barriers, this gross health disparity increases the difficulty of reentry into society after release from incarceration. Welcome Home Ministries, a nonprofit organization that responds to the needs of postincarcerated women, helps facilitate the reentry process. Three Point Loma Nazarene University nursing students interning with Welcome Home Ministries created health outcome objectives for the organization to objectively measure their clients’ successes. The health outcome objectives explore the major needs of postincarcerated women and how they can be met. The many health issues of the newly released women provide significant implications for public and community health nurses in caring for these individuals.

Keywords

postincarcerated women health needs reentry transition to community

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

AIDS Alert. (2009). Most HIV-infected inmates are eligible for ART: Connecting with medication right away [is the] problem. AIDS Alert, 24(7), 75-76. Retrieved from CINAHL Plus with Full Text database.

Arditti, J. , & Few, A. ( 2008). Maternal distress and women’s reentry into family and community life. Family Process, 47, 303-321. doi:10.1111/j.1545-5300.2008.00255.x

Boyer, E. , Nielsen-Thompson, N. , & Hill, T. ( 2002). A comparison of dental caries and tooth loss for Iowa prisoners with other prison populations and dentate U.S. adults. Journal of Dental Hygiene, 76(2), 141. Retrieved from Nursing/Academic Edition database.

Drapalski, A. , Youman, K. , Stuewig, J. , & Tangney, J. ( 2009). Gender differences in jail inmates’ symptoms of mental illness, treatment history and treatment seeking. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, 19, 193-206. doi:10.1002/cbm.733

Lee, C. , Connolly, P. , & Dietz, E. ( 2005). Forensic nurses’ views regarding medications for inmates. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing & Mental Health Services, 43(6), 32. Retrieved from CINAHL Plus with Full Text database.

Lewis, S. , Heitkemper, M. , Dirksen, S. , O’ Brien, P. , & Bucher, L. ( 2007). Medical-surgical nursing: Assessment and management of clinical problems (7th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier.

Lukis, V. ( 2006). Health effects of an ex-offender’s successful reentry into society. American Journal of Public Health, 96, 588-589. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2005.083592

MacNeil, J. , Lobato, M. , & Moore, M. ( 2005). An unanswered health disparity: Tuberculosis among correctional inmates, 1993 through 2003. American Journal of Public Health , 95, 1800-1805. Retrieved from CINAHL Plus with Full Text database.

Miller, D. ( 2009). Faith-based organization welcomes women back into community: Changing lives, restoring families, and building community. Family and Community Health, 32, 298-306.

10.

Nijhawan, A. , Salloway, R. , Nunn, A. , Poshkus, M. , & Clarke, J. ( 2010). Preventive healthcare for underserved women: Results of a prison survey. Journal of Women’s Health (15409996) , 19(1), 17-22. doi:10.1089/jwh.2009.1469

11.

Parsons, M. , & Warner-Robbins, C. (2002). Factors that support women’s successful transition to the community following jail/prison . Health Care for Women International, 23(1), 6-18. doi:10.1080/073993302753428393

12.

Sheu, M. , Hogan, J. , Allsworth, J. , Stein, M. , Vlahov, D. , Schoenbaum, E. , . . . Flanigan, T. ( 2002). Continuity of medical care and risk of incarceration in HIV-positive and High-risk HIV-negative women (15409996). Journal of Women’s Health, 11, 743. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

13.

Visher, C. , & Travis, J. ( 2003). Transitions from prison to community: Understanding individual pathways. Annual Review of Sociology, 29(1), 89-113. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

14.

Wilper, A.P. , Woolhandler, S. , Boyd, W. , Lasser, K.E. , McCormick, D. , Bor, D.H. , & Himmelstein, D.U. (2009). The health and health care of US prisoners: A nationwide survey. American Journal of Public Health, 99, 666-672.