COVID-19 Mitigation Compliance and Vaccination Status Among Formerly Incarcerated Individuals in the United States

Abstract

Background To examine the relationship between incarceration history and an individual’s compliance toward COVID-19 mitigation strategies and vaccination status/intentions. Method Data are from the Crime, Health, and Politics Survey ( N = 1,735), a national probability sample of community-dwelling adults aged 18 and above living in the United States. Data were collected from May 10, 2021 to June 1, 2021. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between incarceration history and COVID-19 mitigation strategies and vaccination status/intentions. Results Individuals with a history of incarceration reported approximately twice the relative risk of rarely/never using hand sanitizer and rarely/never wearing a mask compared with always/very often. Incarceration history was associated with more than 3 times greater relative risk of reporting not being vaccinated and not planning to get vaccinated compared with currently being vaccinated. Conclusion Formerly incarcerated individuals are less likely to abide by key COVID-19 mitigation protocols and exhibit higher levels of vaccine hesitancy. These findings suggest that formerly incarcerated individuals, as well as their families and communities, may therefore be at greater risk of accelerated spread of COVID-19 because of these factors.

Food Insecurity and COVID-19 Vaccination Status and Vaccination Hesitancy in the United States

“…The dependent variable measures a respondent's self-reported COVID-19 vaccination status and intentions. Vaccination status/intentions were measured by asking respondents, “Have you been vaccinated for the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19)?” Responses were classified into the following categories: (1) Yes/Planning to —Yes or No, but I am planning to be vaccinated—; (2) No, don't plan to —No; and (3) I do not plan to be vaccinated—, and Unsure —No, and I am undecided about getting a vaccine 16…”

“…Responses were classified into the following categories: (1) Yes/Planning to-Yes or No, but I am planning to be vaccinated-; (2) No, don't plan to-No; and (3) I do not plan to be vaccinated-, and Unsure-No, and I am undecided about getting a vaccine. 16…”

Coronavirus Disease-2019 Vaccine Hesitancy

“…However, limited access is not the only determinant of COVID-19 vaccine uptake in this population 44 . Studies in the U.S. and Canada found that incarcerated individuals reported their significant reasons for refusing COVID-19 vaccination to include (1) distrust of prison employees, including healthcare workers, and the government, and (2) perceiving themselves to be at low risk of COVID-19 disease 45 , 46 , 47 . Similar data on Mexico and other central American countries are not available as of this writing.…”