It has been well established that mental health problems disproportionately burden a significant number of individuals who are incarcerated. The literature suggests that one way of offsetting the deleterious effects of prison life among inmates is to build and use available social support resources before incarceration and during community reintegration. Our studies have investigated different forms of support that could significantly improve mental health outcomes among formerly incarcerated men of color in New York City. To learn more about how to use social support in mitigating recidivism and reducing poor health, please read some of our findings and solutions:
Valera, P., & Boyas, J. (2019). Perceived social ties and mental health among formerly incarcerated men in New York City. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X19832239
Valera. P., Bachman, L., Wilson, W., & Reid, A. (2017). “It’s hard to reenter when you’ve been locked out”: Keys to successful offender reintegration. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 56, 412-431.
Valera, P., Chang, Y., Hernández, D., & Cooper, J. (2015). Exploring kinship and social support in women with criminal justice backgrounds. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 54, 278-295.