Despite the extensive resources expended on providing medical care to inmates, inmates' health perception is an understudied topic. The current study investigates inmates' perception of health status while incarcerated using a sample of 136 soon-to-be released prisoners. Prisoners with poor health perception prior to their current incarceration were most likely to perceive health improvement. Sociodemographic characteristics were generally not associated with the perceived health improvement during incarceration. Analysis results suggest correctional institutions may play a vital role in delivering much-needed medical care to a segment of the prisoner population, including determining how they feel about their health. It is important to explore the policies and practices to increase continuity of health care following release to maintain perceived health improvement.

Violence involving firearms poses a serious threat to public safety in urban areas. The present study examines how illegal firearm availability (IFA) is related to firearm violence at the neighborhood level. We analyzed 3 years (from 2005 to 2007) of recovered firearm and violent index crime data from Newark, New Jersey. Violent index crime is separated into three categories by level of firearm use: shootings, display of firearm violence (DFV), and no-firearm violence (NFV). Negative binominal regression was conducted to examine the relationship between IFA and firearm violence at the neighborhood level while controlling for neighborhood conditions. Firearm violence is prevalent in Newark: over 90% of homicides and 47% of robberies were committed with a firearm. IFA is related to increased shootings and NFV, but not to DFV. IFA is a robust predictor of shootings in Newark, New Jersey. Neighborhood conditions influence IFA and firearm violence. IFA may reflect neighborhood distress level, given that areas with high IFA experience increased firearm violence as well as NFV. The local clustering of violent crime suggests placed-focused policing strategies aimed at removing firearms would aid in curbing serious firearm violence in urban neighborhoods.

Results indicated that parolees have more life stressors and that providing them with access to health care might lower suicidal ideation. Because parolees were more likely to rate their health as poor, providing access to medical care may improve their quality of life and their chance of successful return to the community.

No abstract

Abstract. Background: Gender is often related to different life stressors and mental health disorders, but a limited amount of research examines risks of suicidal ideation of probationers by gender. Aims: The aim of this study was to examine gender differences in suicidal ideation of probationers. Method: Using a national sample of 3,014 male and 1,306 female probationers with data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2009–2011), multivariate regression analysis was conducted. Results: Male and female probationers display similar demographic characteristics although their life circumstances and experiences seem different. Female probationers in the study were more likely to experience financial, psychological, and residential stressors than male probationers were. Female probationers were also more likely to have received medical and/or psychiatric treatments. Female probationers were exposed to more suicidal ideation risks than male probationers were. Additionally, no protective factors to suicidal ideation were found for female probationers. Conclusion: The findings suggest that a gender-specific approach to suicidal ideation of probationers may lessen the prevalence of suicidal ideation of this largely neglected population.