Incarceration and Public Health: Going Bold to Achieve Health Equity
Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the field of public health has sprinted a marathon to address the ongoing crisis — we have implemented mass vaccination plans, pushed back against misinformation campaigns, and taken action in the face of slashed budgets and outright assaults on our lives. But as a public health researcher and advocate, I believe there is a critical place where we have fallen short, and with dire consequences: connecting the dots between incarceration and health.
Less Criminalization = Better Health + More Justice
Last year, New York State passed the most sweeping parole reform measure in the country. The Less Is More Community Supervision Revocation Reform Act has far-reaching implications for the health and liberty of tens of thousands of people every year, by making critical changes in how the state handles noncriminal violations of parole conditions.
The Unseen Provider: COVID-19 Reveals the Hidden Link between Correctional and Community Care
COVID-19 has had disproportionate impact on justice-involved people because health and justice systems maintain discrete siloes due to longstanding policies. These policies create structural barriers to an integrated response to people living at the intersection of these two systems. Focusing resources in this overlooked area provides an excellent opportunity for a return on investment for grantmakers seeking to make impactful change.
Confronting a Public Health Crisis: Solitary Confinement in U.S. Prisons
A lack of quality care inside correctional facilities often results in damaging outcomes, including increased incidence of violence, mental health crises, and high rates of recidivism.
Growing Old is Hard Enough: Prison, Jail, and Post-Release Life for Older Adults
Sometimes a shift in perspective leads to far-reaching innovations, whether in policy, programs, or grantmaking.
Ending Mass Incarceration is a Public Health Imperative
Ending mass incarceration in the United States is one of the major social, political, civil rights, and economic challenges of our time. Government officials, practitioners, advocates, and philanthropists working in the fields of public health and medicine have important and distinct roles to play.
Prison Diversion Programs: Compelling Social Investments for Foundations
As a relatively small, regional niche foundation, Staunton Farm Foundation reasoned that “improving behavioral health” was too broad an area for us to make a significant impact. Hence, the foundation chose to focus on criminal justice.