title: The Impact of Homelessness and Incarceration on Women's Health.
abstract: Female inmates have multiple challenges during incarceration and as they transition into the community including: barriers to accessing health care within correctional facilities, poor transitional preparation preceding release, and inadequate continuity of health care after release. This qualitative study explored the health-seeking experiences and the health and housing needs of female inmates. Four focus groups were conducted in a remand facility in Canada. Women described poor health at entry to the correctional system and viewed incarceration as a means to access health care services. Transition back into the community represented a crossroad that was dependent on the stability of housing status. These findings support gender-sensitive health and housing programs to reduce addictions, recidivism, and poor health among this vulnerable population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada rabia@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: Rabia A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Corrections Health, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: Cybele
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Angel
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martell
authors.affiliation: Corrections Health, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pyne
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: Louanne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Keenan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016387:Women's Health; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: community transition; correctional health; female inmates; housing; reentry