Every April the U. S. Division of Health and Human Providers (HHS) honors Second Probability Month, the place we acknowledge the significance of supporting the profitable reentry of the tons of of 1000’s of people returning to their communities from jail yearly and the numerous extra coming back from jail.1 Second Probability Month is a crucial time to elevate up and encourage federal, state, native, and tribal governments and community-based organizations to proceed working to deal with the boundaries confronted by our returning group members. The Biden-Administration has prioritized intervention fashions to help these coming back from incarceration find success comparable to by funding and selling job coaching, substance use and psychological Health companies, entry to Health Care, and extra.2
Inside HHS, we acknowledge the significance of our work within the reentry course of, by supporting the Health and well-being of returning group members and their households. This consists of working to deal with the elevated danger of loss of life and overdose3 upon launch and in helping reunifying households. Whereas not as generally related to HHS, homelessness is one other key problem needing to be addressed for these coming back from incarceration, as people who’ve been incarcerated are nearly ten instances extra prone to expertise homelessness than most of the people.4 Secretary Becerra has championed these administrative priorities and because the present Chair of the USA Interagency Council on Homeless (USICH), homelessness prevention for returning group members is among the populations he’s specializing in as being significantly prone to housing challenges.
At HHS, we additionally acknowledge {that a} essential element of our work on this space is listening to from these immediately affected by incarceration to assist inform our coverage and program choices. Within the Workplace of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Analysis, I’m proud to say that we’ve not solely investigated and published strategies for doing this, however we’ve additionally carried out these practices into our personal work. For instance, when convening our Medicaid Reentry Stakeholder Group to tell the design of a Medicaid demonstration alternative centered on bettering care transitions for people pre-release, we made certain to incorporate people who had skilled incarceration within the group.
Internally, ASPE and HHS have been working to coach our employees on reentry points by a yearlong set of studying classes. Our hope is that by these studying classes all HHS workers may have the chance to be taught concerning the reentry course of, assets which can be already accessible, and find out how to think about this inhabitants of their work. Whereas these are inside trainings, their advantages will probably be far reaching. Others throughout HHS are additionally participating in their very own agency-specific efforts to boost consciousness for Second Probability Month. For instance, the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention’s Nationwide Heart for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention is internet hosting a number of occasions for his or her employees together with a reentry simulation, audio system with lived expertise with incarceration, and a website go to to a neighborhood reentry facility.
HHS can also be taking motion to fulfill the precise wants of these reentering the group. This consists of the launch of the brand new Medicaid demonstration opportunity, with California turning into the primary state to cowl sure Health Care companies pre-release for people transitioning again to their communities and different states following. Moreover, the Health Sources and Providers Administration (HRSA) has introduced the supply of $51 million for the first-ever funding alternative for HRSA-funded Health facilities to implement modern approaches to help transitions in look after individuals leaving incarceration. HRSA has additionally up to date coverage to clarify that Health facilities can present Health companies to incarcerated people who’re anticipated to be or are scheduled for launch from a carceral setting inside 90 days to assist guarantee continuity of care.
Whereas there’s a lot work to be completed, we’re excited and hopeful at these investments within the reentering inhabitants from each degree of the federal authorities.5
Endnotes
1 https://bjs.ojp.gov/document/p22st.pdf; https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2024/02/28/releases-sex-state/
2 https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2024/03/29/a-proclamation-on-second-chance-month-2024/
3 Binswanger, Ingrid A., Marc F. Stern, Richard A. Deyo, Patrick J. Heagerty, Allen Cheadle, Joann G. Elmore, and Thomas D. Koepsell. “Launch from jail—a excessive danger of loss of life for former inmates.” New England Journal of Medication 356, no. 2 (2007): 157-165.; Patterson, Evelyn J. “The dose–response of time served in jail on mortality: New York State, 1989–2003.” American Journal of Public Health 103, no. 3 (2013): 523-528.
4 https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/housing.html
5 Hyperlinks and references to Information from non-governmental organizations is supplied for informational functions and isn’t an HHS endorsement, suggestion, or desire for the non-governmental organizations.