Overview of a Pilot Health-focused Reentry Program for Racial/Ethnic Minority Probationers ages 18 to 26 in Southern California

• Author: Victoria D. Ojeda,Emily Berliant,Tamara Parker,Maurice Lyles,Todd M. Edwards,Cielo Jimenez,Sarah Linke,Sarah Hiller-Venegas,Zephon Lister
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X211013739
• Published date: 01 September 2022
• Date: 01 September 2022
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X211013739

International Journal of

Offender Therapy and

Comparative Criminology

2022, Vol. 66(12) 1303 –1326

© The Author(s) 2021

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DOI: 10.1177/0306624X211013739

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Article

Overview of a Pilot Health-

focused Reentry Program

for Racial/Ethnic Minority

Probationers ages 18 to

26 in Southern California

Victoria D. Ojeda1, Emily Berliant1, Tamara Parker1,

Maurice Lyles1, Todd M. Edwards1,2, Cielo Jimenez1,

Sarah Linke1, Sarah Hiller-Venegas1,

and Zephon Lister1,3

Abstract

There is a significant gap in reentry programming that is tailored to the needs of

young adults ages 18 to 26 who are in a unique developmental life stage that involves

ongoing maturity in their neurobiology, cognitive development, and social and financial

transitions to adulthood and independence. This article describes the structure and

approach of a 6-month health-focused reentry program designed for racial/ethnic

minority young adult (YA) probationers in Southern California. The UCSD RELINK

program includes service navigation and an optional psychoeducation health coaching

program to build health literacy, problem-solving, and executive functioning skills

relevant across multiple life domains. We describe participant characteristics and

service needs at intake. Between 2017 and 2019, 122 YA probationers ages 18 to

26 responded to interviewer-administered baseline surveys. Participants needed

basic services including housing, nutrition assistance, employment, and educational/

vocational training. Depression and anxiety symptoms, Adverse Childhood Events,

trauma, and unmet physical and mental health care needs were pervasive. Given

the dearth of research on reentry programming for YA, this article documents the

1University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, USA

2University of San Diego, CA, USA

3Loma Linda University, CA, USA

Corresponding Author:

Victoria D. Ojeda, Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, Department of Medicine, Division of

Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine,

9500 Gilman Drive #0725 La Jolla, CA 92093-0725, USA.

Email: vojeda@health.ucsd.edu

1013739IJOXXX10.1177/0306624X211013739International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative CriminologyOjeda et al.

research-article2021

1304 International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology 66(12)

approaches taken in this multi-pronged health-focused reentry program to ensure

that the program was tailored to YA reentrants’ comprehensive needs. These data

serve to concretely illustrate the range of needs and how YA reentrants view their

own health and social needs in the context of multiple competing demands; such

data may be useful for program planners and policymakers seeking to advance service

delivery for YA minority reentrants.

Keywords

reentry, racial/ethnic minority, young adult, health coaching, service navigation, peer

provider, health disparities, mental health, probation

Introduction

Incarceration often introduces or exacerbates pre-existing vulnerabilities among reen-

trants (i.e., persons released from jail or prison). Reentrants of all ages often exhibit

higher-than-average rates of mental health and substance abuse challenges, trauma,

and communicable (e.g., HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, Tuberculosis) and chronic diseases

(e.g., hypertension, asthma, diabetes) (Bui et al., 2019; Dumont et al., 2013; Hammett

et al., 2001; National Commission on Correctional Health Care [NCCHC], 2002;

Skowyra & Cocozza, 2007; van Dooren et al., 2013; Winkelman et al., 2016). Notably,

justice-involved persons are often constrained in accessing jail or prison-based health-

care services when incarcerated (Gaiter et al., 2006), thus resulting in unmet and com-

plex health and social needs which must be resolved when individuals return to the

community.

Reconnecting with health care services, social support, employers, and housing is

critical for reentrants’ successful return to the community (Bender et al., 2016; Jonson

& Cullen, 2015). Yet, reentrants often face logistical, economic, social, and other bar-

riers to engaging with the healthcare system (Hadden et al., 2018; Shavit et al., 2017);

limited educational and vocational training and work experience often contribute to a

low post-release socioeconomic status (Davis et al., 2011; Visher et al., 2017). The

cycle of incarceration and community reentry often disrupts access to social networks

and health services, conditions which negatively impact reentrants’ ability to harness

the resources they need to be healthy and productive community members (Bakken &

Visher, 2018; Visher & Travis, 2003). Thus, comprehensive services are needed to re-

establish reentrants’ relationships with social networks and community institutions

(Kirk & Wakefield, 2018).

Reentry programming may occur pre-release or after individuals are in the com-

munity (Calleja et al., 2016; Visher et al., 2017) and existing programs often focus on

singular components of individuals’ reentry needs, such as addressing substance use

disorders, vocational training, HIV prevention, tattoo removal and other needs (Davis

et al., 2018; Murray et al., 2018; Ojeda et al., 2019; Wilson et al., 2018). Pre or post-

release reentry programs may lack a whole-person focus and thus, may not address