Open AccessBehavioral Health Problems, Ex-Offender Reentry Policies, and the “Second Chance Act”
Author(s) -
Wendy Pogorzelski,
Nancy Wolff,
Ko-Yu Pan,
Cynthia L. Blitz
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.2005.065805
Subject(s) - criminal conviction , reentry , prison , conviction , mental health , criminology , suicide prevention , poison control , political science , psychology , psychiatry , medicine , law , environmental health , neuroscience
The federal "Second Chance Act of 2005" calls for expanding reentry services for people leaving prison, yet existing policies restrict access to needed services for those with criminal records. We examined the interaction between individual-level characteristics and policy-level restrictions related to criminal conviction, and the likely effects on access to resources upon reentry, using a sample of prisoners with Axis I mental disorders (n=3073). We identified multiple challenges related to convictions, including restricted access to housing, public assistance, and other resources. Invisible punishments embedded within existing policies were inconsistent with the call for second chances. Without modification of federal and state policies, the ability of reentry services to foster behavioral health and community reintegration is limited.