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Breaking the Cycle of Risky Behaviors and Recidivism  


Author:  Margaret Moreland.


Source: Volume 18, Number 01, November/December 2016 , pp.3-4(2)




Correctional Health Care Report

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Abstract: 

Adult incarcerated women, the fastest growing demographic in the U.S. criminal justice system, are at high risk for reoffending and re-incarceration. More than half have been convicted of drug-related, usually non-violent, offenses. In fact, women are more likely than men to be sentenced for such crimes. A new study, “Risk Profiles of Women Experiencing Initial and Repeat Incarcerations: Implications for Prevention Programs” by Jeffrey H. Herbst, Olivia Branscomb-Burgess, Deborah J. Gelaude, Puja Seth, Sharon Parker, and Catherine I. Fogel, published28 AIDS Education and Prevention 299, sought to determine how the lived experiences of women play a role in repeat incarcerations. The hypothesis was that women who had been incarcerated at least twice would exhibit “a more extreme risk profile.” The authors contend that “the individual, interpersonal, and societal risk factors identified in this article can be used to inform prevention programs delivered by community-based organizations and health departments to reduce both HIV/STD-related risk behaviors and repeat incarcerations.”

Keywords: economic adversity, substance use, risky sexual behavior, STDs, depressive symptoms, and history of sexual abuse and victimization

Affiliations:  1: Pace University School of Law.

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