Incarceration and Reentry: Impact of the Criminal Justice System on Health and Mental Health

Description: This training will provide an overview of the U.S. correctional system with a focus on mass incarceration, the reach of criminal legal oversight, racial disparity, and social determinants of incarceration. Presenters will discuss the differences between jails and prisons with an emphasis on variable lengths of stay, psychological impact of the jail vs prison setting, and how these differences impact treatment and reentry services. Presenters will describe basic features of the New York City jail system including an overview of medical and services for special populations with emphasis on substance use and mental health treatment. Presenters will discuss reentry with a discussion of the psychological impact of prison culture on individuals returning to the community. Presenters will provide information on the specific ways in which social work interventions can help mitigate the challenges individuals face in returning to their communities following a period of detention. Presenters will close with discussion of three cases that illustrate the variable needs individuals may have upon release from jail.