An Adapted Indigenist Stress-Coping Model: Directions for Integrated Health Care in Carceral Settings

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Abstract

Indigenous health disparities are rooted in colonization, which has disrupted cultural traditions, severed connections to traditional practices, and contributed to ongoing trauma. The consequences of colonization manifest across the full spectrum of health—mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual—leading to disproportionate rates of chronic disease, substance use disorders, and behavioral health challenges among Native populations. Incarcerated individuals experience dramatic reductions in life expectancy, retraumatization, and cultural isolation—paralleling the impacts of historical boarding schools. For many Indigenous people, jails become sites of assimilation rather than rehabilitation, exacerbating poor health. Addressing this crisis requires an approach that moves beyond Western models of care. We propose integrated health care in tribal carceral settings as a transformative solution and propose an adapted Indigenist Stress-Coping model (initially conceptualized by Walters and Simoni) catering to justice-involved populations.

Authors

• Ariel L. Roddy, Northern Arizona University

• Carolyn Camplain, Indiana University Bloomington

• Ricky Camplain, Indiana University Bloomington

• Jessica Hogan, Arizona State University

• Ashlee Simon, Indiana University Bloomington