Evaluation of Prevention of Substance Abuse, HIV, and Hepatitis in the Re-Entry Minority Population

Each year, over 2,000 individuals are released from prison and return to the Hartford region. The Department of Correction estimates that 85% of the offenders have significant substance abuse problems, which puts the individual at increased risk for HIV and hepatitis C and increases their risk of re-offending

The focus of this poster is the evaluation of a SAMHSA-funded project, the Metro Prevention Coalition for the Prevention of HIV, Hepatitis, and Substance Abuse in the Re-Entry Minority Population, a collaboration among the Health Departments of Hartford and three neighboring communities. The project delivers services to the minority re-entry community and suggests structural and policy changes that would facilitate the reduction of the incidence and prevalence of substance abuse, HIV and Hepatitis C.

The evaluation documents the process by which over 30 governmental and community organizations come together to plan an intervention and policy change strategy. The coalition building was aided by a needs assessment, which found that the re-entry population community faced significant barriers to accessing services. The evaluation also documents the impact of the Re-entry Partnership Initiative (RPI), the evidence-based intervention chosen by the coalition to best address the gaps in services for the individuals leaving prison and jail. The RPI workers meets the newly released offender in community settings, working with them for two months to give them information, referrals, and support. The evaluation measures the impact of RPI on substance abuse and on HIV and hepatitis risk behaviors using a SAMHSA-developed tool and local questions.