title: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials of interventions to improve the health of persons during imprisonment and in the year after release.
abstract: We systematically reviewed randomized controlled trials of interventions to improve the health of people during imprisonment or in the year after release. We searched 14 biomedical and social science databases in 2014, and identified 95 studies. Most studies involved only men or a majority of men (70/83 studies in which gender was specified); only 16 studies focused on adolescents. Most studies were conducted in the United States (n = 57). The risk of bias for outcomes in almost all studies was unclear or high (n = 91). In 59 studies, interventions led to improved mental health, substance use, infectious diseases, or health service utilization outcomes; in 42 of these studies, outcomes were measured in the community after release. Improving the health of people who experience imprisonment requires knowledge generation and knowledge translation, including implementation of effective interventions.
authors.affiliation: Fiona G. Kouyoumdjian, Kathryn E. McIsaac, Flora I. Matheson, and Stephen W. Hwang are with the Centre for Research on Inner City Health, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario. Jessica Liauw is with McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario. Samantha Green is with the Department of Family and Community Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto. Fareen Karachiwalla, Winnie Siu, Kaite Burkholder, and Lori Kiefer were with the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Ontario. Ingrid Binswanger is with the School of Medicine and Denver Health Medical Center, University of Colorado, Aurora and Denver. Stuart A. Kinner is with the School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Australia. Mo Korchinski and Pam Young are with the School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver.
authors.forename: Fiona G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Kouyoumdjian
authors.forename: Kathryn E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: McIsaac
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liauw
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Fareen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Karachiwalla
authors.forename: Winnie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Siu
authors.forename: Kaite
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Burkholder
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Binswanger
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kiefer
authors.forename: Stuart A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Kinner
authors.forename: Mo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korchinski
authors.forename: Flora I
authors.initials: FI
authors.lastname: Matheson
authors.forename: Pam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Stephen W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Hwang
mesh_terms: D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D008603:Mental Health; D011329:Prisoners; D011634:Public Health; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy