A retrospective analysis of a peer education model used to teach a general women's health program in a large prison system

Since 2002, the Office on Women's Health has been active in supporting peer education in the women's facilities of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. During this 8-year period, OWH has developed a culturally competent, health literacy curriculum called Woman to Woman: Inside and Out, a general women's health peer education train-the-trainer curriculum, and a peer-delivered Women's General Population Prison Entry Orientation. Several hundred women have participated as peer educators, and thousands have benefited by attending the trainings. Evaluation findings included:

• Offender peer educators provide vital linkages to health care for inmates; • Peer educators are well-liked and respected by other offenders; • Peer educators are highly motivated to continue their work as educators even after their release. The project was supported by a collaborative partnership among: Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Women's Health, Sage Associates, and Center for Health Training. A retrospective review of the program and outcomes informs lessons learned for similar peer-led programs throughout the country such as dissemination through teachable moments, use of preventive health messages, using peer educators as mentors and models for behavior change, and using peer educators to disseminate information to the general population. The presentation also explores the value of a community-based collaborative in sustaining the peer education efforts over time.