Citation

Cooley C. Health Promot. Pract. 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Society for Public Health Education, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1524839919869924

PMID

31434516

Abstract

People in prison are disproportionately affected by health problems, some of which lead to imprisonment and some of which are caused by imprisonment. Mental illness and substance use disorders fall into both of these categories, but they are not the only ailments affiliated with incarceration. Prior to their incarceration, many people in prison did not have safe housing or stable employment and job security, and institutional policies and/or budgetary concerns prevent many inmates from receiving adequate health care while in prison. Prison inmates in the United States are both victims and perpetrators of violence while incarcerated. In all cases, acts of violence have negative psychological consequences for the victim, including depression and shame. Mindfulness meditation training for prison inmates might be among the most effective of interventions, helping to prevent violence, improve quality of life, and reduce recidivism. Research and evaluation of data suggest that mindfulness-based nonviolence programs are transferable to other inmate populations, and the author recommends that both the private and public prison systems implement such programs nationwide, with the support of state and federal governments.

Language: en

Keywords

access to health care; advocacy; behavior change; community intervention; cultural competence; health disparities; health promotion; minority health; social determinants of health; violence prevention