Katherine E McLeod1, Mo Korchinski1, Pamela Young1, Tammy Milkovich1, Christine Hemingway1, Michelle DeGroot1, Lara-Lisa Condello1, Lynn Fels1, Jane A Buxton1, Patricia A Janssen1, Alison Granger-Brown1, Vivian Ramsden1, Marla Buchanan1, Ruth Elwood Martin2. 1. School of Population and Public Health (McLeod, Korchinski, Young, Milkovich, Hemingway, Buxton, Janssen, Elwood Martin) and Collaborating Centre for Prison Health and Education (McLeod, Korchinski, Young, Milkovich, Hemingway, Condello, Fels Buxton, Granger-Brown Ramsden, Elwood Martin), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; First Nations Health Authority (DeGroot), BC; Justice Studies (Condello), Nicola Valley Institute of Technology, Burnaby, BC; Arts Education (Fels), Simon Fraser University; BC Centre for Disease Control (Buxton); Child and Family Research Institute (Janssen), Vancouver, BC; Fielding Graduate University (Granger-Brown), Santa Barbara, Calif.; Department of Academic Family Medicine (Ramsden), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Sask.; Counselling Psychology Program (Buchanan), Education and Counselling Psychology, Faculty of Education, and Centre for Group Counselling and Trauma (Buchanan), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC. 2. School of Population and Public Health (McLeod, Korchinski, Young, Milkovich, Hemingway, Buxton, Janssen, Elwood Martin) and Collaborating Centre for Prison Health and Education (McLeod, Korchinski, Young, Milkovich, Hemingway, Condello, Fels Buxton, Granger-Brown Ramsden, Elwood Martin), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; First Nations Health Authority (DeGroot), BC; Justice Studies (Condello), Nicola Valley Institute of Technology, Burnaby, BC; Arts Education (Fels), Simon Fraser University; BC Centre for Disease Control (Buxton); Child and Family Research Institute (Janssen), Vancouver, BC; Fielding Graduate University (Granger-Brown), Santa Barbara, Calif.; Department of Academic Family Medicine (Ramsden), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Sask.; Counselling Psychology Program (Buchanan), Education and Counselling Psychology, Faculty of Education, and Centre for Group Counselling and Trauma (Buchanan), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC ruth.elwood.martin@ubc.ca.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: During the transition between prison and community, people are at greatly increased risk for adverse health outcomes. This study describes a peer health mentoring program that supports women in the first 3 days after their release from a provincial correctional facility in British Columbia. METHODS: We used a participatory health research framework to develop multimethod processes to describe the Unlocking the Gates Peer Health Mentoring Program. Mentors are women with incarceration experience. Between 2013 and 2018, women released from Alouette Correctional Centre for Women were invited to access the program. All program clients were invited to participate in the surveys and interviews. We analyzed survey and interview data using descriptive analysis for quantitative data and content analysis for qualitative data. RESULTS: There were 346 program contacts from 340 women over the study period. For every contact, a telephone interview was conducted. Among the 346 contacts, 173 women met their mentor, of whom 172 (99.4%) completed the intake and consent forms. A total of 105 women (61.0%) completed a program activity feedback survey at the end of the mentoring period. Women identified a range of needed supports during the transition from prison to community, including access to clothing, social assistance, housing and health care. Participants described a mix of emotions surrounding release, including excitement, anxiety, hope, and a wish for understanding and support. Within 3 days of release, 49 participants (46.7%) had accessed a family physician, and 89 (84.8%) had accessed at least 1 community resource. Ninety-eight participants (93.3%) reported that their mentor assisted them in accessing community resources. INTERPRETATION: Peer health mentoring provides valuable, multifaceted support in helping women to navigate health and social services and to meet their basic needs. Strengthening health supports during the transition from prison to community is critical to promoting the health and well-being of women leaving prison. Copyright 2020, Joule Inc. or its licensors.
BACKGROUND: During the transition between prison and community, people are at greatly increased risk for adverse health outcomes. This study describes a peer health mentoring program that supports women in the first 3 days after their release from a provincial correctional facility in British Columbia. METHODS: We used a participatory health research framework to develop multimethod processes to describe the Unlocking the Gates Peer Health Mentoring Program. Mentors are women with incarceration experience. Between 2013 and 2018, women released from Alouette Correctional Centre for Women were invited to access the program. All program clients were invited to participate in the surveys and interviews. We analyzed survey and interview data using descriptive analysis for quantitative data and content analysis for qualitative data. RESULTS: There were 346 program contacts from 340 women over the study period. For every contact, a telephone interview was conducted. Among the 346 contacts, 173 women met their mentor, of whom 172 (99.4%) completed the intake and consent forms. A total of 105 women (61.0%) completed a program activity feedback survey at the end of the mentoring period. Women identified a range of needed supports during the transition from prison to community, including access to clothing, social assistance, housing and health care. Participants described a mix of emotions surrounding release, including excitement, anxiety, hope, and a wish for understanding and support. Within 3 days of release, 49 participants (46.7%) had accessed a family physician, and 89 (84.8%) had accessed at least 1 community resource. Ninety-eight participants (93.3%) reported that their mentor assisted them in accessing community resources. INTERPRETATION: Peer health mentoring provides valuable, multifaceted support in helping women to navigate health and social services and to meet their basic needs. Strengthening health supports during the transition from prison to community is critical to promoting the health and well-being of women leaving prison. Copyright 2020, Joule Inc. or its licensors.
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