Epidemiological modeling of interventions for women in prison

The increased reliance of incarceration as the means to cure societal ills has become increasingly evident as the United States has over 2-million Americans in correctional facilities. Incarceration can be viewed as a disease. Modeling incarceration as a communicable disease can possibly provide the determinant, interventions and prevention mechanism through which the disease can be contained and arrested. Epidemiological public health models capture the complexities of incarceration as viewed by the HOST (individuals going to prison), ENVIRONMENT (where individuals lived prior to incarceration), and AGENT (prison industrial complex). The author, a formerly incarcerated woman who has successfully reintegrated into society, created this model of incarceration based on epidemiological principles to guide her self-help interventions. The model incorporates lived experiences of women in and out of the prison system. The author utilized this model to engage a collaboration of government, community-based agencies, and individuals to address this multi-factorial issue of incarceration. Research indicates a comprehensive approach to incarceration is necessary to increase public safety, address the health and well-being of those in correctional facilities, and to reform sentencing policies. Utilizing this model resulted in creating programs, activities, interventions, policies, and structural changes in and out of prisons to reduce recidivism and criminal behaviors in women. In this paper, the authors discuss the model constructs, utilization of the model to mobilize interdisciplinary interventions for women in and out of prison, policy changes to eliminate barriers to reintegration into society, and interventions for sustaining long-term health of women in prison.