Health-related Correlates of Re-incarceration among Former Prisoners in Australia and the Netherlands: Two Prospective Studies

• In Event: Mental Disorder and Risk of Offending

Abstract

Prison populations are disproportionally burdened by physical and mental health problems. Moreover, recidivism rates, including re-incarceration rates, are high among former prisoners. These high recidivism rates have triggered research on predictors of recidivism. At present, however, research on health-related predictors of recidivism is rare and most existing studies have been cross-sectional in design. This study aims to identify health-related risk factors of re-incarceration among former prisoners. To do so, data are analyzed from two prospective studies examining prisoners both in prison and after release: (1) The Passports Study, which examined 1,325 Australian adult ex-prisoners just before release and 1, 3, and 6 months after release, and (2) The Prison Project, which followed 1,904 Dutch male inmates during detention, and 6 and 24 months after release. Both studies included detailed information on health-related variables (e.g. substance use, medication use, psychological distress, chronic diseases, BMI, and health care utilization) and registered data on re-incarceration. This unique comparative approach will enhance current knowledge on health-related risk factors of recidivism, which in turn, may help in identifying high-risk persons and in targeting relevant interventions both in prison and after release from prison.

Authors

• Alese Wooditch, Temple University

• Anja Dirkzwager, Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement

• Faye Taxman, George Mason University

• Paul Nieuwbeerta, Leiden University

• Stuart Kinner, University of Melbourne, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health