Source: The Atlantic
Although life after prison can be very challenging for former inmates due to the lack of job opportunities and difficulties in adjusting to new environments, a recent study found that, ironically, going to prison can temporarily improve the health of some inmates.
The risk of mortality and drug and alcohol usage are significantly lower in prisons than in the neighborhoods that some inmates would be living in if they were not in jail.
According to the study’s author, Christopher Wildeman of Cornell University, lower mortality rates in prisons indicate how dangerous some environments are for inmates, rather than the quality of the healthcare they’re receiving while in prison.
Another study shows that upon release, former inmates are more prone to diseases such as hepatitis and tuberculosis, which are likely contracted while in prison.
Read full story at: The Atlantic