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Release from Jail: Moment of
Crisis or Window of Opportunity for Female Detainees?
Rachel L. McLean, 1,2,3 Jacqueline Robarge,2 and Susan G.
Sherman1
1Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology,
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2527195/
2Power Inside, Baltimore, MD USA
3615 N. Wolfe St., E6543, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
Rachel L. McLean, Email: rlmclean@jhsph.edu .
Corresponding author.
Abstract
Despite extensive documentation of the reentry challenges facing
female prisoners, few such studies have focused on women exiting
jails. The Window Study investigated factors associated with the
perceived availability of stable housing upon release from
detention. Anonymous surveys were conducted with a random sample
(n=148) of female detainees at the Baltimore City Detention
Center from January 21 to March 17, 2005. Interviews focused on
socio-demographic background, health status, recent drug use and
sexual behavior history, and material and social resource
availability upon release. The median age of female detainees
was 37 (interquartile range [IQR]: 29, 41), 69% were
African-American, and 33% identified as lesbian or bisexual. The
median income in the 30 days prior to arrest was $145 (IQR: 0,
559), and the median number of prior arrests was 5 (IQR: 3, 11).
In the presence of other variables familial support (Adjusted
Odds Ratio [AOR] 2.57; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.21, 5.47)
and a monthly income of $400–799 (AOR 3.18; 95% CI 1.00, 10.07)
were positively associated with perceived housing stability upon
release; wanting a support group for having traded sex for
money, drugs or a place to stay (AOR 0.25; 95% CI 0.10, 0.63)
was significantly negatively associated with perceived housing
stability upon release. This study suggests the importance of
pre-release planning and continuity of care for female
detainees. Interventions should emphasize access to housing,
economic opportunity and family reunification. Special attention
is warranted to those who have engaged in sex work, who may be
marginalized from family and service-based support networks.
Keywords: Commercial sex workers, Detainees, Female, HIV,
Housing stability, Injection drug users, Jail
Introduction
The number of females incarcerated in the United States rose by
nearly 50% from 68,468 in 1995 to 101,179 in 2003.1 Since 1995,
the average annual growth rate of female imprisonment has grown
5%, exceeding that of 3.4% for males during the same period.2
Rising rates of incarceration among females have prompted the
examination of gender specific factors related to imprisonment.
Females are significantly more likely than males to be in jail
for non-violent offenses,3,4 such as larceny, fraud and theft,
and drugs possession and sales.4 Females are more likely than
males to be unemployed at time of arrest4 and to be diagnosed
with substance abuse disorders.5 Almost half of female detainees
in a national survey of local jails report histories of
childhood sexual abuse; over 10% report experiencing intimate
partner violence.4 Seventy percent of women in local jails have
children under 18, making childcare and custody a primary
concern.4 As with males, large racial disparities in
incarceration rates persist among female prisoners, with black
females “more than twice as likely as Hispanic females and
nearly five times more likely than white females” to have been
in prison at the end of 2003.1
In addition to differing from incarcerated men, female prisoners
also differ from their non-incarcerated counterparts. Compared
with adult females in the general population, incarcerated women
are more likely to experience substance use, mental illness,
intimate partner violence, HIV risk behaviors,6 HIV, hepatitis B
and hepatitis C infection7 and homelessness.8–10 Furthermore,
female detainees who report being homeless upon arrest also
report higher numbers of previous arrests, substance abuse,
prostitution-related charges, and difficulty accessing drug
treatment.8
Upon release, female prisoners face numerous challenges
including housing, employment and family reunification.11–13
Evidence suggests that female prisoners entering the community
having maintained strong familial ties while incarcerated have
improved re-entry outcomes and reduced recidivism.14,15 However
this protective effect can be mitigated by the inability of
areas heavily concentrated with poverty to effectively integrate
high volumes of recently released prisoners; particularly in
cities such as Baltimore.16
Jails detain people for under 1 year, often prior to sentencing,
whereas prisons incarcerate people for longer terms. The
experiences of prisoners upon reentry cannot be generalized to
detainees exiting jail because “jail inmates are housed for
relatively short periods of time, are not eligible for prison
programming, and are not subject to post-release supervision.”17
Consequently, little is known about whether the predictors of
successful reentry for females leaving long prison terms are the
same for female detainees leaving jails settings.13
This study sought to examine factors associated with perceived
social and material resource availability upon release.
Specifically, this study sought to examine female detainees'
anticipated availability of stable housing upon release.
Materials and Methods
Study Design
We conducted a cross-sectional study of 148 adult female
detainees in the Baltimore City Detention Center between January
21 and March 17, 2005.
The Baltimore City Detention Center
In 2004, BCDC housed 8,351 female detainees, released 8,300
female detainees, and had an average daily population of 661
female detainees with an average length of stay of 29 days
(personal communication, Cortez Rainey, April 19, 2005).
Detainees are classified according to health needs and security
risk. High risk detainees are housed in the protective custody
unit; detainees with acute health conditions are housed in the
medical and infirmary units; those sentenced to drug treatment
are housed in a separate, acupuncture facility; pregnant women
are housed in the maternity dorm. In addition, there is a
Therapeutic Community dorm which houses 33 detainees, who are
drawn from the general population by request. Female detainees
are housed in the quarantine unit for an initial period pending
health assessments by medical personnel, who must provide
clearance before for each detainee may join the general
population. The general population is divided into ten dorms,
with an average of 42 detainees per dorm. Individual cells are
allotted to detainees who have special needs or adjustment
problems.
Study Subjects
Women were eligible for study inclusion if they were: 18 years
of age or older; and detained in the Baltimore City Detention
Center's general female population, Therapeutic Community and
maternity dorms, or individual cells. Detainees in the
quarantine, medical clinic, juvenile, acupuncture, and
protective custody units were excluded due to security
restrictions.
Recruitment
Subjects were recruited using randomly generated numbers from a
sampling frame of 450 eligible beds distributed between 11 dorms
(ten general population dorms and the Therapeutic Community) and
individual cells. Random numbers were generated in Microsoft
Excel (2003) and matched to a list of eligible bed numbers. The
list was then inspected to eliminate repeats. Interviewers
approached correctional officers for permission to speak with
detainees by bed number beginning at the top of the random bed
numbers list. Refusals and empty beds were recorded, and the
next number on the list approached. Failed attempts to approach
detainees were repeated three times before detainees were
declared unavailable for interview.
Out of 450 potentially eligible beds, 70% (n=314) were
approached. Of those, 128 beds were then deemed ineligible
because 115 beds were empty, eight detainees were unavailable
for interview despite repeated attempts, and five detainees had
already participated and changed bed numbers since their initial
interview. Of the remaining 186 detainees approached, 80%
(n=149) consented to be interviewed. Reasons for refusal
included feeling sick (n=4), self-reported lack of need for
participation due to having sufficient resources (n=4), facing
long prison sentences (n=2), correctional officer denying
permission (n=1), and not stated (n=23). One participant
terminated her interview early, stating that she would prefer
discussing sensitive issues in a community setting. Her
interview was discarded, and 148 subjects were included in the
final analysis.
Data Collection
Once selected, female detainees were approached at the door of
their dorm or cell and asked if they wanted to participate in an
anonymous survey. Everyone approached was compensated with a
comprehensive resource packet, irrespective of participation.
Interviewers accompanied participants to a private setting
outside the sight and hearing range of correctional officers for
the consent and interview. Interviewers obtained written
informed consent. The consent was read aloud to ensure
comprehension for those with limited literacy skills. To protect
identity, participants initialed the consent and were informed
that they could use fake initials if they chose. Additionally,
no identifying information was collected or attached to the
interview. Interviews were not tape-recorded and at no time did
jail personnel overhear or view the contents of interviews.
Interviews were conducted by trained public health graduate
students. Institutional Review Board approval for the project
was obtained from the Committee on Human Subject Research at the
Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Institutional approval was also obtained from the Commissioner
of the Baltimore City Detention Center.
Instruments
The survey instrument included a range of measures, such as
socio-demographic background, income, education, recent (30 days
prior to incarceration) drug use and sexual risk behaviors, drug
treatment utilization, and material and social resource
availability upon release. Family support and neighborhood
disorder questions were used with permission from the Urban
Institute survey of prisoner re-entry in Illinois,18 which had
Chronbach's alpha coefficients of 0.797 and 0.726, respectively.
Questions regarding barriers to accessing drug treatment were
used from the National Institutes of Drug Abuse Risk Behavior
Assessment.19
Measurement
Composite family and neighborhood scores were calculated on a
scale of one to four, with one representing high family support
or neighborhood stability and four representing low family
support or neighborhood stability. Negative items were reverse
coded and items were summed; the sum was divided by the total
number of items on the scale. Composite neighborhood stability
and family support scores were dichotomized into high and low
scores above or below their respective medians, which were
skewed to the left (3) and right (1.6), respectively.
Perceived housing stability was defined as a dichotomous
variable coded as one when respondents reported knowing where
they would be staying when they got out and knowing they could
stay there for at least 30 days. Perceived housing stability was
coded as zero when respondents reported not knowing where they
were going to stay when they got out, or being able to stay less
than 30 days, or not knowing how long they would be able to stay
at their destination. The definition of stable housing was
derived using the criterion for being
“at-imminent-risk-of-homelessness” developed by the Center for
Disease Control—Housing and Urban Development Housing Health
Study for Baltimore City and cited in the definition of client
eligibility for Baltimore Services, Inc.1,20 Recent sexual and
drug using behaviors were defined as having occurred within 30
days prior to a detainee's most recent arrest.
Data Analysis
Bivariate comparisons of proportions were compared by conducting
χ2 Fisher's exact tests and simple logistic regression analyses.
Independent variables with p values less than 0.10 were carried
into forward and backwards stepwise multiple logistic regression
models to predict the odds of having perceived housing stability
immediately upon release. For items that were highly correlated,
the item with the lowest p value that best fit the model
represented the other variables in the scale. Independent
variables with p values less than 0.05 were included in the
final multivariate model. Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness-of-fit and
likelihood ratio tests were used to choose the most parsimonious
model. Data were analyzed using Stata Satistical Software 8.21
Demographics
More than half (54%) of female detainees anticipated stable
housing upon release. The median age of female detainees was 37
(interquartile range [IQR]: 29, 41); 69% self-identified as
African-American, and 33% identified as lesbian or bisexual. The
median income in the 30 days prior to arrest was $145 (IQR: 0,
559), and the median number of prior arrests was 5 (IQR: 3, 11).
The median number of days detained was 46.5 (IQR: 29, 97.5). The
29% of respondents who knew their release date had a mean of 28
days until release (standard deviation [SD]=35).
Housing Status
One in four participants did not know where she would be staying
when she got out. Among those who knew where they would be
staying, 38% anticipated staying with a family member, 16% at
their own home, 13% in a residential treatment program, and 8%
with friends. One participant anticipated staying in an
abandoned house. Over half (56%) anticipated being able to stay
at their destination permanently; however, 2% anticipated being
able to stay less than 7 days, 5% between one and 3 months, 12%
4 months to a year, and 26% did not know how long they would be
able to stay.
Health Indicators
Infectious diseases were common: 5% of respondents reported
being infected with HIV, 14% with HCV, and 40% reported ever
having an STI. Mental health issues were common: 59% reported
having been diagnosed with depression, 33% with bipolar
disorder, 28% with anxiety, and 9% with schizophrenia. At the
time of interview, 4% of participants reported being pregnant.
HIV Risk Behaviors
Regarding trading sex for money, drugs or a place to stay (“sex
work”), one third of the female detainees interviewed reported
at least one recent sex trade partner, 74% reported always using
condoms during vaginal sex with trade partners, 64% reported
always using condoms during oral sex with trade partners, and
24% reported always using condoms during recent vaginal sex with
their primary male partners. Fifteen percent of participants
reported having a female primary partner.
Heroin use was common, with 55% of respondents reporting recent
heroin use. Among recent heroin users, 44% reported injection as
their route of drug administration. In contrast, only 2% of
recent cocaine users reported recent cocaine injection. Of those
who reported recent injection, 33% reported recently borrowing
or sharing needles, and 59% reported “borrowing or sharing
cookers, cottons, waters, crack pipes or other tools with other
people.” Thirty percent had ever overdosed, and 60% reported
ever having witnessed an overdose.
Three quarters of respondents reported wanting drug treatment
upon release. Nearly one third (32%) of detainees had recently
attempted to access treatment. Of the 38 detainees who had
contacted treatment services since they had been in jail, 61%
had received a positive response. Less than one seventh (13%)
reported having accessed some form of treatment since being in
jail. Respondents identified employment, drug treatment,
housing, seeing their children, and living in a different
neighborhood as the top five most important factors in keeping
them out of jail.
Bivariate Analysis
Unadjusted odds ratios [UOR] from the bivariate analysis of
demographic variables are presented in Table 1. Women with more
than 12 years of education were significantly more likely to
have perceived housing stability upon release (63 vs. 36%,
respectively, p<0.05), compared to those with less than 12 years
of education. Information regarding bivariate analysis of social
determinants and HIV risk behaviors is located in Table 2. Women
with stable housing reported significantly higher family support
scores (68 vs. 32%, respectively, p<0.01), compared to those
without. Women without perceived housing stability upon release
were significantly more likely to report wanting a support group
for issues surrounding engagement in sex work (69 vs. 31%,
p<0.01), recent daily heroin or cocaine use (54 vs. 46%),
p<0.05), and lacking health insurance (74 vs. 28%, p<0.05).
Table 1
Characteristics of female detainees by perceived housing
stability upon release (n=148)
|
|
Total |
Stable housing |
Non-stable |
UOR (95%
CI) |
|
(n=80) |
(n=68) |
|
N (%) |
N (%) |
N (%) |
|
Age |
|
|
|
|
|
18–29 |
40 (27%) |
25 (31%) |
15 (22%) |
1.00 |
|
30–39 |
54 (36%) |
26 (33%) |
28 (41%) |
0.56 (0.24, 1.28) |
|
40+ |
54 (36%) |
29 (36%) |
25 (37%) |
0.70 (0.40, 1.60) |
|
Race/ethnicity |
|
|
|
|
|
African-American |
102 (69%) |
55 (69%) |
47 (69%) |
1.00 |
|
White |
24 (16%) |
13 (16%) |
11 (16%) |
1.01 (0.41, 2.47) |
|
Mixed/Other |
14 (9%) |
8 (10%) |
6 (9%) |
1.14 (0.37, 3.52) |
|
American Indian |
8 (5%) |
4 (5%) |
4 (6%) |
0.85 (0.20, 3.60) |
|
Sexual orientation |
|
|
|
|
|
Heterosexual |
101 (69%) |
60 (76%) |
41 (60%) |
1.00 |
|
Bisexual |
30 (20%) |
12 (15%) |
18 (27%) |
0.45 (0.20, 1.04)* |
|
Homosexual |
16 (11%) |
7 (9%) |
9 (13%) |
0.53 (0.18, 1.54) |
|
Income (in dollars;
30 days prior to arrest) |
|
|
|
|
|
0 |
68 (46%) |
32 (41%) |
36 (53%) |
1.00 |
|
1–399 |
31 (21%) |
12 (15%) |
19 (28%) |
0.71 (0.30, 1.69) |
|
400–799 |
28 (19%) |
23 (29%) |
5 (7%) |
5.17 (1.76, 15.21)‡ |
|
800+ |
20 (14%) |
12 (15%) |
8 (12%) |
1.69 (0.61, 4.65) |
|
Education |
|
|
|
|
|
≤8 years |
13 (9%) |
4 (5%) |
9 (13%) |
1.00 |
|
9–12 years |
77 (52%) |
40 (50%) |
37 (55%) |
2.43 (0.69, 5.57)* |
|
>12 years |
57(39%) |
36 (45%) |
21 (31%) |
3.85 (1.06, 14.08)† |
|
Degree |
|
|
|
|
|
None |
68 (47%) |
32 (40%) |
36 (54%) |
1.00 |
|
GED |
22 (15%) |
12 (15%) |
10 (15%) |
1.35 (0.51, 3.54) |
|
Diploma |
46 (31%) |
26 (33%) |
20 (30%) |
1.46 (0.69, 3.10) |
|
AS/BS |
11 (7%) |
10 (12%) |
1 (1%) |
11.25 (1.36, 92.79) |
|
Number of children |
|
|
|
|
|
None |
30 (20%) |
15 (19%) |
15 (22%) |
1.00 |
|
1–3 |
88 (60%) |
47 (59%) |
41 (60%) |
1.14 (0.50, 2.63) |
|
4+ |
29 (20%) |
17 (22%) |
12 (18%) |
1.41 (0.51, 3.96) |
|
Arrest history |
|
|
|
|
|
≤5 arrests |
73 (49%) |
42 (52%) |
31 (46%) |
1.00 |
|
6–10 arrests |
36 (24%) |
19 (24%) |
17 (25%) |
0.82 (0.37, 1.84) |
|
10+ arrests |
39 (26%) |
19 (24%) |
20 (29%) |
0.70 (0.32, 1.53) |
|
Probation/Parole status at time
of arrest |
|
|
|
|
|
Probation |
79 (53%) |
44 (56%) |
35 (44%) |
1.15 (0.60, 2.20) |
|
Parole |
6 (4%) |
1 (16%) |
5 (84%) |
0.16 (0.02, 1.40) |
From:
J Urban Health. 2006 May; 83(3): 382–393.
Published online 2006 May 4. doi: 10.1007/s11524-006-9048-3
Table 2
Social determinants and HIV risk behaviors of female detainees (n=148)
|
|
Total |
Stable housing |
Non-stable |
UOR (95% CI) |
|
(n=80) |
(n=68) |
|
N (%) |
N (%) |
N (%) |
|
Neighborhood disorder score |
|
|
|
|
|
Low (vs. High) |
86 (58%) |
41 (48%) |
45 (52%) |
1.86 (0.96, 3.63) |
|
Family support score |
|
|
|
|
|
High (vs. Low) |
65 (39%) |
44 (68%) |
21 (32%) |
2.74 (1.39, 5.38)‡ |
|
Close friends |
|
|
|
|
|
>1 (vs. none) |
91 (61%) |
52 (57%) |
39 (43%) |
1.38 (0.71, 2.68) |
|
Phone contacts |
|
|
|
|
|
Daily (vs.<Daily) |
120 (81%) |
71 (59%) |
49 (41%) |
3.06 (1.28, 7.32)† |
|
Condom use during recent
vaginal sex with primary partner (n=91) |
|
|
|
|
|
Always (vs.<Always) |
22 (24%) |
16 (73%) |
6 (27%) |
2.12 (0.76, 6.22) |
|
Recent sex in exchange for
money, drugs or a place to stay |
|
|
|
|
|
Yes (vs. No) |
51 (34%) |
25 (49%) |
26 (51%) |
0.73 (0.37, 1.45) |
|
Condom use during recent
vaginal sex with trade partner (n=46) |
|
|
|
|
|
Always (vs.<Always) |
23 (50%) |
19 (82%) |
4 (17%) |
2.53 (0.63, 10.05) |
|
Want a support group for issues
surrounding engagement in sex work |
|
|
|
|
|
Yes (vs. No) |
39 (27%) |
12 (31%) |
27 (69%) |
0.26 (0.12, 0.57)‡ |
|
Recent benzodiazepine use |
|
|
|
|
|
Yes (vs. No) |
26 (18%) |
8 (31%) |
18 (68%) |
0.20 (0.12, 0.75)† |
|
Recent daily heroin or cocaine
use |
|
|
|
|
|
Yes (vs. No) |
87 (59%) |
40 (46%) |
47 (54%) |
0.47 (0.23, 0.88)† |
|
Ever not accessed drug
treatment because could not afford fees (n=129) |
|
|
|
|
|
Yes (vs. No) |
68 (53%) |
30 (44%) |
38 (56%) |
0.48 (0.24, 0.97)† |
|
Insurance |
|
|
|
|
|
No (vs. Yes) |
58 (39%) |
42 (74%) |
16 (28%) |
0.28 (0.14, 0.58)† |
Multivariate Analysis
Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) from the multivariate logistic
regression analysis are presented in Table 3. High familial
support (AOR 2.57; 95% CI 1.21, 5.47); and a monthly income of
$400–799 (AOR 3.18; 95% CI 1.00, 10.07) were significantly
positively associated with perceived housing stability upon
release; and wanting a support group for having traded sex for
money, drugs or a place to stay (AOR 0.25; 95% CI 0.10, 0.63)
was significantly negatively associated with perceived housing
stability upon release after adjusting for age, race and income.
Table 3
Characteristics and behaviors associated with housing stability
upon release among female detainees in a multiple logistic
regression analysis (n=148)
|
Characteristics of Behaviors |
UOR (95% CI) |
AOR (95% CI) |
|
Monthly income $400–799 |
5.17 (1.76, 15.21)† |
3.18 (1.00, 10.07)† |
|
High family support score |
2.74 (1.39, 5.38)† |
2.57 (1.21, 5.47)† |
|
Wanting a support group for issues
surrounding engagement in sex work |
0.26 (0.12, 0.57)‡ |
0.25 (0.10, 0.62)‡ |
Adjusted for age and race
UOR Unadjusted odds ratio, 95% CI confidence interval, AOR
adjusted odds ratio
*p<0.1; †p<0.05, ‡p<0.01
From:
J Urban Health. 2006 May; 83(3): 382–393.
Published online 2006 May 4. doi: 10.1007/s11524-006-9048-3
Alternative Model
To test the robustness of this model, we conducted an
alternative multivariate analysis that compared respondents who
knew where they would be staying when they got out (n=111) to
those who did not (n=37) but did not include the anticipated
length of stay in the definition of the dependent variable. In
this model, identifying as lesbian (AOR 0.25; 95% CI 0.08, 0.82)
was significantly negatively associated with having a place to
stay upon release; reporting a monthly income of $400–799 (AOR
11.11 (1.28, 100.00) was significantly positively associated
with having a place to stay upon release, after controlling for
age and race. The small sample size in the group lacking a place
to stay upon release limited the statistical power of this
model, and a broader definition of housing stability was
favored. With the broader definition, however, identifying as
lesbian was not significantly associated with housing stability.
Discussion
This study sought to identify factors associated with perceived
housing stability upon release for female detainees. Almost half
of female detainees reported a perceived lack of stable housing
availability upon release. Familial support and a monthly income
of $400–799 were significantly positively associated with
perceived housing stability upon release; wanting a support
group for issues surrounding engagement in sex work was
significantly negatively associated with perceived housing
stability upon release.
The increasing rate of female incarceration impacts the lives,
families and communities of incarcerated women in ways that are
only beginning to be understood. While prisons have made some
progress in recent years in developing gender-responsive
programming, female detainees may be less likely to benefit from
such programs due to women's short tenure in jail and to the
high volume of turnover in jails. Given the dearth of services
in jails, this study sought to investigate social and material
resource availability and factors associated with perceived
housing stability upon release from jail settings. Having strong
familial support and a monthly income of $400–799 independently
predicted perceived housing stability upon release, while
wanting a support group for issues surrounding engagement in sex
work was negatively associated with perceived housing stability,
after controlling for other factors.
Our sample was majority African-American, reflecting both the
racial composition of Baltimore City and the overrepresentation
of African-Americans in United States prisons and jails.22
Participants had been detained a median of over 1 month,
suggesting that sufficient time does exist for interventions
with detained populations. However the average length of stay in
this sample was positively skewed by our failure to interview
detainees in the quarantine unit.
Consistent with other studies, detainees were representative of
the lowest socio-economic segments of our society, with over
two-thirds reporting a monthly income less than $400 USD and
nearly half lacking a high school diploma or General Equivalency
Degree certificate. Our findings also support previous studies
which have found high rates of HIV, drug and alcohol use, mental
health diagnoses, homelessness and chronic diseases in
incarcerated populations.6–10 While three-quarters of
participants expressed a desire for drug treatment services,
only 13% reported receiving treatment while incarcerated,
illustrating a dearth of treatment availability within BCDC. The
diagnoses (e.g., depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia)
named by respondents are consistent with a similar study of
female detainees in Chicago.8 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has
been shown to be common among female detainees8,23–25 but was
not included in this questionnaire.
This study found recent daily heroin, cocaine and benzodiazepine
use, lack of health insurance and inability to afford drug
treatment to be associated with perceived housing instability
upon release. This relationship disappeared when controlling for
age, race and income. Strong familial ties were the strongest
predictors of perceived housing stability upon release,
outweighing the role of recent drug use and income. This
supports previous research documenting the vital role of
familial support for successful prisoner re-entry and suggests
that interventions focused solely on sobriety may be less
effective than those emphasizing family reunification.8,14,26
Friendship ties were not protective, which is consistent with
previous findings that social ties may have deleterious effects
in communities where there is a high level of overlap between
drug and support networks and suggests the need for
interventions that promote ties to pro-social networks.27
Approximately one third of the sample reported recent sex work,
and one third identified as lesbian or bisexual. Wanting a
support group for issues surrounding engagement in sex work was
negatively associated with perceived housing stability upon
release, suggesting that sex workers may be particularly
isolated from social and economic resources that are protective
for successful reentry after periods of incarceration. In an
alternate model, identifying as lesbian was significantly
negatively associated with having a place to stay upon release.
The potential for disapproval of engagement in sex work and
lesbian identity by social networks or service providers,
indicates that targeted interventions may be warranted for these
populations.
The data are subject to several limitations. The cross-sectional
nature of this study limits the ability to determine the
temporal direction of the associations found here. The study had
a small sample size, which limited its statistical power, and
lacked a male detainee or female prisoner sample for comparison.
The exclusion of detainees in the booking and quarantine units
resulted in average length of stay of 46.5 days, which is
substantially higher than that of the 29 day average length of
stay for female detainees reported by BCDC. Participants in this
sample may have been unable to afford bail and may have come
from a more socially isolated or economically deprived group.
For this reason, our findings may not be generalizable to the
quarantine population or to those who were released early on
bail and who may have greater real and perceived social and
material resources. Conversely, our exclusion of detainees in
the medical unit and the few refusals by detainees who reported
not feeling well may have underestimated the morbidity among the
population, although this effect was probably minimal.
While research has shown Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
to be common among female detainees,8,23–25 this study failed to
ascertain the prevalence of PTSD among participants. Questions
regarding sensitive topics such as drug use and sexual risk
behavior relied on self-report and may have elicited socially
desirable responses. However, previous research has documented
reliable self-report of HIV risk behaviors and recent drug
use.28
The definition of housing stability used here included not
having a place to stay, anticipating a stay of less than 30
days, and not knowing how long one could stay. A stricter
definition of housing stability that compared respondents who
had a place to stay upon release to those who did not suggested
that identifying as lesbian was associated with an anticipated
lack of housing upon release, but the model lacked statistical
power due to sample size limitations. Alternate definitions of
housing stability may have yielded different results. Additional
research with larger populations of female detainees would
assist in identifying factors associated with housing stability
upon release from jail.
Despite these limitations, the findings presented here have
immediate practical implications for informing service provision
to current and former female detainees in Baltimore and other
locales.
Female detainees have unique needs that warrant special
attention. With nearly half of the sample anticipating a lack of
housing stability upon release, pre-release planning efforts
should be provided to connect detainees with affordable housing
opportunities. Additionally, the protective effects of monthly
incomes above $400 suggest a need for programs focused on income
generation through employment, vocational training, and
assistance with accessing public benefits. Given the centrality
of familial ties, family-based interventions geared toward
successful re-entry of detainees should be studied. With the
potential for people leaving jail who identify as lesbian or who
are or have been engaged in sex work to be alienated from their
families, services should address the social vulnerability of
these populations. Programs such as La Bodega in New York City
provide promising models for incorporating families into
successful prisoner re-entry.17
The periods of time that female detainees spend in jail are long
enough to provide excellent windows of opportunity for
intervention. Public health and corrections officials should
work in collaboration to establish a continuum of care between
jails and the communities to which detainees will likely
return.29
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank Commissioner William J. Smith, Deputy
Commissioner Howard Ray, Assistant Warden Danny McCoy, Mr.
Cortez Rainey, Sister Patricia Ash, the Office of the Public
Defender and the staff at Baltimore City Detention Center for
their assistance. We would also like to thank interviewers
Katherine Locke and Stephanie Oppenheimer, Courtney Wilburn and
Christopher Martin for their dedication and time, Melissa Klein,
Erica Woodland, Fusion Partnerships and Natalie Sokoloff for
their support, and Nancy La Vigne and the Urban Institute for
their permission to build upon their previous work. Most of all,
the authors wish to thank the women who participated in this
study for privilege of letting us hear and share their stories.
Footnotes
1As utilized by Baltimore Homeless Services, Inc., “the term
‘at-imminent-risk-of-homelessness’ means a person/family who
does not hold a lease and does not own their property, and
he/she is experiencing one of the circumstances as follows:
a. Are moving frequently from relatives' or friends' homes at
least once a month within a period of at least 3 months;
b. Are doubled/tripled up with relatives or friends and are
being asked to leave;
c. Are living in an overcrowded setting with two or more people
in sleeping/living areas;
d. Are living in a dangerous situation due to domestic
violence.”20
This project was made possible by funding from the Albert
Schweitzer Fellowship Program, the V. Louis Stuckey Family and
the Abell Foundation.
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