Healthcare & Prison Return

Two-thirds of inmates in the US end up re-arrested again within a few years of their release from prison. Many efforts to reduce that rate focus on providing opportunities for education, job training and housing so former inmates can reintegrate into society—but what about access healthcare? Analysis by economist Erkmen Aslim at Grand Valley State University finds former inmates who have access to treatment for chronic diseases, mental illness or addiction are less likely to end up back behind bars.