Citation

Binswanger IA, Blatchford PJ, Lindsay RG, Stern MF. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2011; 117(1): 1-6.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2010.11.029

PMID

21295414

Abstract

BACKGROUND: High mortality rates after release from prison have been well-documented, particularly from overdose. However, little is known about the risk factors for death after release from prison. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the demographic and incarceration-related risk factors for all-cause, overdose and early mortality after release from prison.
METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of inmates released from a state prison system from 1999 through 2003. The cohort included 30,237 who had a total of 38,809 releases from prison. Potential risk factors included gender, race/ethnicity, age, length of incarceration, and community supervision. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to determine risk factors for all-cause, overdose and early (within 30 days of release) death after release from prison.
RESULTS: Age over 50 was associated with an increased risk for all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 2.67 for each decade increase, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.23, 3.20) but not for overdose deaths or early deaths. Latinos were at decreased risk of death compared to Whites only for all-cause mortality (HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.42, 0.87). Increasing years of incarceration were associated with a decreased risk of all-cause mortality (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.91, 0.99) and overdose deaths (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.68, 0.95), but not early deaths. Gender and type of release were not significantly associated with all-cause, overdose or early deaths.
CONCLUSIONS: Age, ethnicity and length of incarceration were associated with mortality after release from prison. Interventions to reduce mortality among former inmates are needed.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; Risk Factors; Adult; Female; Male; Middle Aged; Cause of Death; Suicide; Age Factors; Retrospective Studies; Drug Overdose; Time Factors; Cohort Studies; Ethnicity; Prisons; Prisoners; Washington