Crime and Public Health in the United States

Abstract

The fields of criminal justice and public health intersect in various ways in the United States. Certain criminal behaviors, criminal and delinquent rehabilitation, and the fear of crime have public health implications to the extent they shape exposure to immediate and long-term negative health outcomes, overall access to health care, and intervention strategies towards high-risk populations. As such, the study of criminality and particular types of ‘offenders’ remain a concern for both criminal justice and public health researchers and policy makers. This introductory chapter first reviews certain ‘intersections’ of areas pertinent to the fields of criminal justice and public health, particularly substance use and violence, vulnerable populations, negative health outcomes and incarceration, and interventions that crossover both public health and criminal justice initiatives. From here, the chapter provides a brief overview of the four themes examined within the book: Incarceration and health risks; health risk behaviors among high-risk youth; crime, space, and health; and public health interventions towards traditional criminal justice populations.