In North Carolina, some 98 percent of people currently incarcerated will eventually be released back into society, but reentry isn’t easy. Many people come back with physical health and behavioral health conditions and struggle to get the help they need.
Reporter, Elizabeth Thompson; was joined by Tommy Green, lead community health worker at NC FIT (NC Formerly Incarcerated Transition) program and Essence Hairston, program manager at UNC Horizons program in Wake County.
The panel talked about the challenges facing people who are leaving jails and prisons and the health care challenges they face as they reenter society.
Stick around to the end, there were some terrific questions.
Read Elizabeth’s reporting here: Evidence-based reentry resources key for sicker incarcerated population, researchers say, Could MAT be the key to reducing recidivism in NC’s jails?, COVID-19 creates additional challenges for those leaving incarceration in NC
Health Care Half Hour is a monthly conversation between one of our reporters and health care experts, held on the third Thursday of every month. Previous sessions include a conversation on the use and overuse of involuntary commitment in North Carolina, a talk with infectious disease specialist Dr. David Wohl on the Delta variant and an examination of how hog farming in eastern NC has affected communities of color.
North Carolina Health News is an independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit, statewide news organization dedicated to covering all things health care in North Carolina. Visit NCHN at northcarolinahealthnews.org.
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