AIMS: A discussion on the case for nurse-led community delivery of health and social care interventions to ex-offenders. BACKGROUND: Ex-offenders re-enter their communities with limited pre-release preparation for the continuity of access to health care once outside prison. Once released, these individuals become hard to reach, do not consider health a priority and consequently use services to address their health and social care needs in a crisis-led way. Nevertheless, how nurses can best support these health-excluded group of individuals in the community remains vague and requires discussion. DESIGN: Discussion paper. DATA SOURCES: Several databases were searched for papers published in English from 1990-2012 using the Population, Intervention and Outcome framework to help structure search. DISCUSSION: It is argued that current dominant discourses around equity of care are contradicted in the provision of health and social care services to ex-offenders in the community. Effective engagement with community interventions may be achieved if ex-offenders maintain contact with frontline providers who can support both their structural and health needs. IMPLICATION FOR NURSING: Nurses are uniquely positioned to initiate and sustain contact with ex-offenders, intervening at points of greatest need in the community to address the socially significant health and social care issues that plague them. CONCLUSION: The use of nurses in the provision of health and social care interventions to ex-offenders is a strategy, which could increase equity in access to health care, reduce reoffending and improve both the health and life chances of these individuals.
AIMS: A discussion on the case for nurse-led community delivery of health and social care interventions to ex-offenders. BACKGROUND: Ex-offenders re-enter their communities with limited pre-release preparation for the continuity of access to health care once outside prison. Once released, these individuals become hard to reach, do not consider health a priority and consequently use services to address their health and social care needs in a crisis-led way. Nevertheless, how nurses can best support these health-excluded group of individuals in the community remains vague and requires discussion. DESIGN: Discussion paper. DATA SOURCES: Several databases were searched for papers published in English from 1990-2012 using the Population, Intervention and Outcome framework to help structure search. DISCUSSION: It is argued that current dominant discourses around equity of care are contradicted in the provision of health and social care services to ex-offenders in the community. Effective engagement with community interventions may be achieved if ex-offenders maintain contact with frontline providers who can support both their structural and health needs. IMPLICATION FOR NURSING: Nurses are uniquely positioned to initiate and sustain contact with ex-offenders, intervening at points of greatest need in the community to address the socially significant health and social care issues that plague them. CONCLUSION: The use of nurses in the provision of health and social care interventions to ex-offenders is a strategy, which could increase equity in access to health care, reduce reoffending and improve both the health and life chances of these individuals.