Examining the Impact of Unmet Health-Related Needs and Exposure to Trauma during Incarceration on Ease of Reentry

The purpose of this project is to determine the impact of (a) having unmet health-related needs and (b) being exposed to trauma while incarcerated on outcomes for those returning to the community.  This will involve completing semi-structured, qualitative interviews with at least 30 men and women who were recently released from prison stays with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections.  Recently released will be operationalized as those who re-joined the community within the last 12 months following a period of incarceration.  These interviews will collect self-report data on ease of access and quality of health care services received while incarcerated, personal and witnessed victimization while incarcerated, current health status and health habits, and ease of re-entry into the community.  Respondents will be recruited at designated locations throughout Cuyahoga County based on collaboration with the Cuyahoga County Office of Reentry (Office of Health and Human Services).  All interviews will be recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded for themes using the qualitative software program NVivo.