Gender-specific behavioral health and community release patterns among New Jersey prison inmates: implications for treatment and community reentry.
OBJECTIVE
We describe behavioral health diagnoses and community release patterns among adult male and female inmates in New Jersey prisons and assess their implications for correctional health care and community reentry.


METHODS
We used clinical and classification data on a census of "special needs" inmates (those with behavioral health disorders) in New Jersey (n=3189) and a census of all special needs inmates released to New Jersey communities over a 12-month period (n=974).


RESULTS
Virtually all adult inmates with special needs had at least 1 Axis I mental disorder, and 68% of these had at least 1 additional Axis I mental disorder, a personality disorder, or addiction problem (67% of all male and 75% of all female special needs inmates). Of those special needs inmates released, 25% returned to the most disadvantaged counties in New Jersey (27% of all male and 18% of all female special needs inmates).


CONCLUSIONS
Two types of clustering were found: gender-specific clustering of disorders among inmates and spatial clustering of ex-offenders in impoverished communities. These findings suggest a need for gendered treatment strategies within correctional settings and need for successful reentry strategies.
Blitz
Cynthia L
CL
Center for Mental Health Services & Criminal Justice Research, Rutgers University, 30 College Ave, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA. cblitz@ifh.rutgers.edu
Wolff
Nancy
N
Pan
Ko-Yu
KY
Pogorzelski
Wendy
W
D000328:Adult; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D003376:Counseling / Q000458:organization & administration; D003688:Deinstitutionalization / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017831:Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009515:New Jersey / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011330:Prisons / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012657:Self-Help Groups / Q000458:organization & administration; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data