Prison Population Research Articles

Jewish Ethics of Inmate Vaccines Against COVID-19

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic broke out at the end of 2019, and throughout 2020 there were intensive international efforts to find a vaccine for the disease, which had already led to the deaths of some five million people. In December 2020, several pharmaceutical companies announced that they had succeeded in producing an effective vaccine, and after approval by the various regulatory bodies, countries started to vaccinate their citizens. With the start of the global campaign to vaccinate the world’s population against COVID-19, debates over the prioritization of different sections of the population began around the world, but the prison population has generally been absent from these discussions.Approach and FindingsThis article presents the approach of Jewish ethics regarding this issue, that is, that there is a religious and a moral obligation to heal the other and to take care of his or her medical well-being and that this holds true even for a prisoner who has committed a serious crime. Hence, prisoners should be vaccinated according to the same priorities that govern the administration of the vaccine among the general public.OriginalityThe originality of the article is in a comprehensive and comparative reference between general ethics and Jewish ethics on a subject that has not yet received the proper attention.

Franco Basaglia and the Italian mental health act: a law aimed to restore the rights of citizenship.

The psychiatric reform act passed in Italy in 1978 - which was born in the wake of Franco Basaglia's work - had among its main aims the restoration of dignity and rights to people suffering from mental disorders and the closure of asylums and other totalizing institutions. On the centenary of Basaglia's birth, we must reason on the state of social and health care not only in the field of mental health. In fact, the rights of women seeking for abortion, the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community, the prison population, and migrants are also on the take. If the one led by Franco Basaglia in Italy was a revolution, it cannot be said to have been accomplished until the rights of citizenship are restored to all the people to whom these same rights are not recognized.

Suicidal ideation among prisoners: analysis with a gender perspective in a five-year follow-up (2017-2022).

There is a high incidence of self-harming behavior in the prison setting, with a suicide rate that is higher than that of the general population. Previous studies describe the association of sociodemographic, clinical, and criminological factors with the risk of suicide in the male prison population, but there is little research that specifically analyses suicidal behavior among women. The objective of this study is to analyze the characteristics of inmates who are admitted to a psychiatric unit for suicidal thoughts or attempted suicide. Descriptive and comparative analysis of 97 inmates (68 men, 29 women) admitted to the Unidad de Hospitalización Psiquiátrica Penitenciaria de Cataluña (UHPP-C), for suicidal ideation, between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2022. There are differences in terms of place of birth, with a more significant presence of African nationalities in non-national males, while foreign inmates tend to come from Latin American countries. Men have a lower mean age, longer admissions, and a higher readmission rate. They also suffer from more psychotic and addictive disorders. Women have a higher prevalence of personality disorders and affective symptoms. There are sociodemographic and clinical differences between male and female prison inmates who require admission for suicidal ideation. Including a gender perspective in studies on suicide risk in the prison population can provide a solid foundation for future studies, thus allowing a more complete understanding of suicidal ideation and intervention needs in the prison population.

Study of the characteristics of medical information in transfers between prisons.

The mobility of the prison population creates a need for information transmitted in transfers between centers that can guarantee optimal care continuity. To assess the quality of transmission of health information when inmates are transferred between prisons in Spain. Observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study, consisting of a review of medical records of inmates who passed through Madrid III Prison in a three-month period. All measured variables were qualitative, and were expressed in absolute and relative frequencies. 1,168 inmates passed through Madrid III Prison in this period. Only 21 came from prisons in Catalonia, the Basque Country or Navarre, where their medical records are different from those in the rest of Spain, and only 57.14% provided some type of health information. Of the remaining inmates, 70.79% provided some type of information: 63.90% of the total had prescriptions for medication and 5% were prescribed with methadone. Of those taking medication, 89.10% were prescribed it in electronic prescriptions, which were correct in 98% of the cases. For methadone, only 75.44% had electronic prescriptions, which were correct in all cases. The date of the last dose administered was only indicated in 72.40% of the treatments. Only 34.70% of the records presented optimal quality in terms of the information transmitted, and in 2.50% of the cases the information received was deficient. The use of computerized tools facilitates the transmission of information, reduces the workload and improves patient safety.

Prévalence des troubles psychiatriques en population carcérale française : une revue systématique de la littérature

IntroductionThe prevalence of psychiatric disorders among prisoners remains a major public health issue worldwide. In France, despite the increasing number of persons who are incarcerated (+30% between 1992 and 2002 with a 120% prison overcrowding), and a historical concern about the mental health of persons in detention and its management, no systematic review has been published on this subject. The aim of this article is to present the results of a systematic review of the literature on the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in French prisons. MethodThe reporting of this systematic review conforms to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) checklist. We searched the PubMed and Web of Science databases. We used combinations of keywords relating to prison (prison*, jail*, inmate*), to psychiatry (“mental health”, psychiatr*), and to France (France, French). This work was completed with a search through the digital libraries of the École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique (EHESP) and of the Système Universitaire de Documentation (Sudoc) to obtain data from academic works and the gray literature. References cited in studies included in this review were also examined. All references published up to September 2022, written in English or French, presenting the results of original quantitative studies on the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in correctional settings were included. Two researchers independently extracted data from included references according to a pre-established protocol. ResultsAmong 501 records identified, a total of 35 papers based on 24 epidemiological studies met the eligibility criteria for inclusion in this review: 16 were cross-sectional, 7 retrospective and 1 both cross-sectional and retrospective. All papers were published between 1999 and 2022. We found one European study, 5 international studies, 18 regional or local studies. Of these, 21 studies had all-male or mixed gender samples (but when the sample was mixed gender, it was always at least 92% male). Almost half of the studies (n=11) involved a small sample of fewer than 500 persons. Half of the studies involved a sample of recently incarcerated persons: 6 involved a random sample of persons in detention, and 1 involved a sample of people incarcerated for more than 5 years. The last 5 studies focused on persons aged over 50 years and incarcerated for more than one year (n=1), incarcerated for sexual offences (n=2), placed in disciplinary cells (n=1) or in a special wing for radicalized or suspected radicalized individuals (n=1). Nine studies used standardized and validated diagnostic tools. According to the 4 studies involving representative samples and using standardized and validated diagnostic tools, the prevalence of the following psychiatric disorders was: 29.4–44.4% for anxiety disorders, 5–14.2% for PTSD, 28–31.2% for mood disorders, 6.9–17% for psychotic disorders, 32% for personality disorders and 11% for ADHD. ConclusionThis systematic review of the literature highlights the high prevalence of psychiatric disorders in French prisons. The data collected are in line with international studies. The great methodological heterogeneity of the papers included in this review calls for further rigorous research to better understand the rates of mental disorders in French prisons and to explore their determinants.

Wastewater Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in a Prison Facility

Prison populations are unlikely to have access to prompt, effective medical care as the general population. Therefore, vaccination and effective surveillance systems have been recommended to mitigate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission in prison settings. This pilot study aimed to assess the application of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) in a prison to act as an early warning tool for COVID-19 transmission. In this study, weekly wastewater samples (n = 21) were collected for 21 weeks from a prison facility in New Orleans, LA, USA, and analyzed for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and the results were compared with the number of confirmed cases during the same period. SARS-CoV-2 was concentrated using two methods and quantified via RT-qPCR using CDC N1 and N2 assays. Overall, SARS-CoV-2 was detected in eight samples (38%). An equal number of samples tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 using the two concentrating methods, indicating the effectiveness of both methods for building-scale WBE. Despite limited clinical testing in the studied prison facility, instances of SARS-CoV-2 detection in wastewater prior to the diagnosis of COVID-19 depict the potential use of wastewater surveillance in detecting the presence of early and averting outbreaks in asymptomatic COVID-19 patients.

Treatment of women's prisons in Maranhão

Considering the growing relevance of the female prison scenario in Brazil, this research aims to analyze the treatment of female detainees in the country's penitentiaries, in order to assess its impact on social reintegration and the guarantee of human rights. The significant increase in the female prison population and the need to understand and improve detention conditions motivate the research, which seeks to answer: How are women treated in Brazilian prisons and how does this influence their social reintegration and respect for human rights? The research will use a bibliographic and documentary review, analyzing academic materials, relevant case law and national legal frameworks. Consultation of various databases, such as BDTD, Google Scholar and FGV's virtual library, will contribute to achieving the proposed objectives. Thus, the general objective of the research is to analyze the treatment of inmates in Brazilian women's prisons, assessing its repercussions on social reintegration and the guarantee of human rights. It concludes that social reintegration, conceived as a comprehensive process that transcends mere physical freedom, is faced with obstacles ranging from poor prison conditions to the lack of effective resocialization programs. The lack of educational and work opportunities, combined with social stigmas, intensify the challenges faced by inmates when trying to reintegrate into society. The guarantee of human rights, a fundamental and inalienable principle, is often compromised in women's prisons. The research highlighted the urgent need for public policies that ensure the dignity, integrity and basic rights of inmates, promoting conditions conducive to true resocialization.

Effectiveness of oral health education on oral hygiene status among adult male inmates in central jail, Kolkata – an interventional study

PurposeOral health is an integral part of general health. Different population groups have been assessed for oral health status in India, but still, many have been neglected; one such group is the prisoners. The prison population is a unique and challenging one with many health problems, including poor oral health, which may be due to lack of knowledge about good oral health practices. This study aims to assess effectiveness of oral health education on oral health knowledge, attitude and practices and oral hygiene status among the male prison inmates of central jail in Kolkata, India.Design/methodology/approachAn interventional study was done among 240 male convicts. The data was elicited using a structured proforma; oral health status was assessed by recording OHI-S index, and the severity of gingivitis was assessed by recording the gingival index. Oral health education was delivered by using audio-visual aid. Oral health knowledge, attitude, practices and oral hygiene and gingival status were reassessed among the inmates before and after dental education at the end of three and six months.FindingsA significant change in oral health knowledge, attitude and practices was seen, which in turn resulted in an appreciable decrease in the mean gingival index score (1.73 ± 0.382 to 1.20 ± 0.321) and OHI-S (3.31 ± 0.815 to 2.57 ± 0.551) in all the inmates after oral health education program over the period of time.Originality/valueThe oral health education with reinforcement proved to be an effective tool to instil good oral hygiene practices in the inmates.

Serial Mass Screening for Tuberculosis Among Incarcerated Persons in Brazil.

An active search for tuberculosis cases through mass screening is widely described as a tool to improve case detection in hyperendemic settings. However, its effectiveness in high-risk populations, such as incarcerated people, is debated. Between 2017 and 2021, 3 rounds of mass screening were carried out in 3 Brazilian prisons. Social and health questionnaires, chest X-rays, and Xpert MTB/RIF were performed. More than 80% of the prison population was screened. Overall, 684 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis were diagnosed. Prevalence across screening rounds was not statistically different. Among incarcerated persons with symptoms, the overall prevalence of tuberculosis per 100 000 persons was 8497 (95% confidence interval [CI], 7346-9811), 11 115 (95% CI, 9471-13 082), and 7957 (95% CI, 6380-9882) in screening rounds 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Similar to our overall results, there were no statistical differences between screening rounds and within individual prisons. We found no statistical differences in Computer-Aided Detection for TB version 5 scores across screening rounds among people with tuberculosis-the median scores in rounds 1, 2, and 3 were 82 (interquartile range [IQR], 63-97), 77 (IQR, 60-94), and 81 (IQR, 67-92), respectively. In this environment with hyperendemic rates of tuberculosis, 3 rounds of mass screening did not reduce the overall tuberculosis burden. In prisons, where a substantial number of tuberculosis cases is undiagnosed annually, a range of complementary interventions and more frequent tuberculosis cases screening may be required.

The prevalence and comorbidity of mental health and substance use disorders in Scandinavian prisons 2010-2019: a multi-national register study.

Mental health disorders are common among people in prison, but their prevalence in the Scandinavian prison population remain unclear. In this multinational register study, we examined the prevalence of mental health disorders and the comorbidity of substance use disorders (SUDs) with other mental health disorders in this population. Further, we investigated how the prevalence of mental disorders at prison entry had changed in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden over the study period. The three study cohorts included all individuals, aged 19 or older, whom had been imprisoned in Norway (2010-2019), Denmark (2011-2018), and Sweden (2010-2013). Mental disorders were defined as ICD-10 diagnoses (F-codes) registered in the national patient registers. The study prevalence was estimated based on recorded diagnoses during the entire study follow-up period in each respective country. The one-year prevalence of mental disorders was estimated for each calendar year for individuals entering prison during that year. The Scandinavian prison cohorts included 119 507 individuals released 191 549 times during the study period. Across all three countries a high proportion of both women (61.3%-74.4%) and men (49.6%-57.9%) had at least one mental health disorder during the observation period. The most prevalent disorders were SUDs (39.1%-44.0%), depressive disorder (8.1%-17.5%), and stress related disorder (8.8%-17.1%). Women (31.8%-41.1%) had higher levels of mental health and substance use comorbidities compared to men (20.8%-27.6%). The one-year prevalence of any mental health disorder increased over time with a 33% relative increase in Norway, 8% in Denmark, and 10% in Sweden. The proportion of individuals entering prison with a comorbid SUD and other mental disorder had also increased. While the incarceration rate has been decreasing during the past decade in the Scandinavian countries, an increasing proportion of people entering prison have a diagnosed mental health disorder. Our results suggest that prisons should provide adequate treatment and scale up services to accommodate the increasing proportion of people with complex health needs among incarcerated people.

Suicide mortality among individuals in federal prisons compared with the general population: a retrospective cohort study in the USA from 2009 to 2020

IntroductionSuicide is one of the leading causes of death in US prisons. Yet, administrative data lags years behind and reporting rarely accounts for differing age distributions between suicide rates between...

Labor contingent of the Southern Kuzbass Corrective Labor Camp of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR in 1947-1953: number, employment, composition of the working fund.

The article is devoted to the study of the labor contingent in the South Kuzbass Corrective Labor Camp of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs in the period from 1947 to 1953. The purpose of the publication is to identify the composition and number of workers involved in the production sector of labor camps and their employment. The chronological framework of the study covers the period from the formation of the camp until the beginning of a radical restructuring of the Soviet Gulag system. When studying this issue, the author used general scientific and special historical methods (methods of quantitative analysis and statistical processing of materials). The novelty of the work lies in the use of unpublished archival documents and addressing local history issues that have not received widespread scientific coverage. Based on archival materials from the current archive of the Main Directorate of the Federal Penitentiary Service for the Kemerovo Region, the dynamics of changes in the number of both forced labor camp prisoners and civilian workers, as well as the degree of their employment, are examined. A comparative analysis of the quantitative composition of the working fund of the South Kuzbass Corrective Labor Camp of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs predecessor, the Yuzhkuzbassles trust, showed that the transition to the use of forced labor in the logging industry in the south of the Kemerovo region made it possible to solve the problem of labor shortage. Particular attention is paid to the issues of employing the camp contingent in the production sector of the Corrective Labor Camp. The reasons why labor functions were not always performed by the prison population were identified, and statistics for each of them were also provided. Particular attention is paid to the processes of transformation of the labor fund in 1953.

The Impact COVID had on Carceral Institutions in the United States

The COVID-19 pandemic is something that affected, and continues to affect, the entire world. In the United States specifically, it impacted the nation majorly- so many people became infected and died, and there were numerous policies implemented to slow the spread. These policies mostly took place in the general population, but in the prison population, many inmates were not protected. Inmates have five times greater risk of COVID than citizens in the general population do. Carceral institutions in the United States are already known to treat many of their inmates inhumanely, but the COVID pandemic amplified the poor living conditions of the inmates. This paper gives an overview of how prisons functioned pre-pandemic, and then it goes into how federal, state, and local carceral institutions initially responded to the start of COVID. How inmates were treated and whether or not they were prioritized in vaccine distributions is discussed, and the impact the COVID virus had on correctional staff is discussed as well. The rise of lawsuits is also briefly explored. Ultimately, there is much variation in how different jurisdictions responded to the pandemic and how they continue to respond. [Article copies available for a fee from The Transformative Studies Institute. E-mail address: journal@transformativestudies.org Website: http://www.transformativestudies.org ©2024 by The Transformative Studies Institute. All rights reserved.]

A Survey of State Correctional Health Care Providers on Advance Care Planning: Opportunity for Collaboration With Corrections.

Prison populations are rapidly aging. Persons in prison age quicker and suffer more chronic illness and disability than their nonincarcerated peers, posing challenges to caring for prisoners who are chronically ill and dying. The goal of our study was to describe state prisons' practices and policies addressing persons in prison with advanced chronic and life limiting illness through a national web-based survey of state-level prison health care professionals. In particular, we focused on advanced care planning, use of health care directives, decision-making about goals of care, including life sustaining treatments, The response rate was 22% for a sample size 152 completed surveys. The average age of respondent was 52years; majority were female and Caucasian, and had worked in corrections more than 8years. Nearly half were registered nurses. Most reported their prison did not have a dedicated end-of-life care program and only 11% offered a peer-care program. However, two-thirds indicated their facility provided the opportunity to designate a health care agent with physicians most likely responsible for facilitating completion of a health care directive. It is evident the care of persons aging and dying in prison is complex and requires further investigation addressing staff and prison population education, ethics guidelines for care, compassionate release, and advance care planning. This study suggests that hospice and palliative care professionals could collaborate with corrections professionals and national organizations to provide innovative education and support to enhance the humane care of this vulnerable population.

Prevalence, Levels and Correlates of Intellectual Disability among Adolescents Incarcerated in a Correctional Facility in Kaduna, NorthWestern Nigeria

Background: Adolescents with intellectual disability are disproportionately represented within correctional facilities. Studies have shown that such adolescents are vulnerable to manipulation and influence including coercion into homosexual relationships, as well as to being victims of homicide compared to others. However, there are few studies on intellectual disability among adolescents in correctional facilities in Northern Nigeria. This study thus aimed to assess the prevalence, levels and correlates of intellectual disability among adolescents in a correctional facility in Kaduna, Northwestern Nigeria
 Materials And Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among all the adolescents incarcerated at the Borstal Training Institution in Kaduna, North-western Nigeria between March and June 2018 who gave informed consent/assent. Data collection was done using a sociodemographic questionnaire; Raven’s Progressive Matrices (RPM); Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Questionnaire and Perceived parental support questionnaire.
 Results: The 93 participants aged 13 years to 19 years were all males with a mean age of 17.71 years (SD ±1.19). The majority (88.2%) were below average intellectually while 58.1% were intellectually defective. Participants with below-average IQ had experienced parental death (χ2 = 4.099, p=0.043), had mothers with less than 12 years of education (χ2 = 5.653, p=0.015) and scored lower on perceived combined parental support (t=-4.704, p=0.032), maternal (t=- 4.334, p=0.000) and paternal support (t=-3.506, p=0.001).
 Conclusions: Intellectual disabilities are prevalent among adolescents in incarceration. There is a need to put in place programs for the identification of such adolescents in our correctional facilities so that programs which minimize the disability while emphasizing the adolescents' strengths can be instituted thus probably reducing their representation in the prison population as well as enhancing the success of rehabilitation back into the society. In addition, identified correlates should be incorporated into targeted prevention strategies for vulnerable adolescents effectively and sustainably to reduce their occurrence.

DESAFIOS DA GESTÃO PRISIONAL

This article has os its theme the analysis of the several factors that hinder the management of prison houses. For this purpose, the work has as generais objective to demonstrate the difficulty of prison management and, as specific objectives, the analysis of factors such as resource management, prison population and functional staff. The applied methodology was bibliographic research, using the hypothetical-deductive approach method. The concepts listed demonstrate that managers face daily internal and external factors that greatly damage the prison system. The lack of investments in health, education and job creation contributes to the growth of crime rates and the overcrowding of establishments, making it difficult to reinsert those sentenced to social life.

Mental and Substance Use Disorders Prevalence Study: Background and Methods

AbstractObjectiveThe Mental and Substance Use Disorders Prevalence Study (MDPS) builds upon previous epidemiologic studies to provide estimates of prevalence and treatment rates of mental and substance use disorders among adults aged 18–65 in the U.S. The study background and methods are described.MethodThe MDPS employed novel techniques such as the inclusion of household, prison, homeless and state psychiatric hospital populations, a semi‐structured clinical interview administered by trained clinical interviewers to assess disorders, the assessment of both past year and lifetime schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD) using full Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5 criteria, as well as other mental and substance use disorders, and video‐based interviewing. Population specific and combined sample weights were developed to estimate nationally representative prevalence and treatment rates.ResultsData collection was conducted between October 2020 and October 2022 resulting in 5679 clinical interviews. The statistical weighting and analytic plan are described. Weighted response rates and reasons for non‐response are provided for each study population.ConclusionsThe MDPS successfully developed and employed novel techniques to estimate the prevalence and treatment rates of mental and substance use disorders in both household and non‐household populations, including some of the most impairing disorders such as SSD.

Factors associated with non-treatment for long-term illness among incarcerated individuals

PurposeThe prison population is seldom studied and often overlooked in many countries despite their vulnerability to long-term illness. This study aims to explore the factors associated with the non-treatment for long-term illnesses among incarcerated individuals.Design/methodology/approachThis study is a cross-sectional analysis. The authors conducted a secondary data analysis using information collected in the Peruvian census of incarcerated individuals. The study population consisted of incarcerated individuals diagnosed with a long-term illness. To evaluate the factors associated with non-treatment, the authors used a Poisson regression model.FindingsThe authors included 12,512 incarcerated individuals (age: 40.9 ± 13.1 years), and 39% of them did not receive treatment for their long-term illness. The authors observed that non-treatment was statistically associated with gender, age, having children, use of the Spanish language, sexual identity, judicial situation, penitentiary location, discrimination inside the penitentiary and health insurance before incarceration. However, only having children (prevalence ratio [PR]: 1.11, confidence interval [CI]95% 1.03–1.19), using the Spanish language (PR: 1.15, CI95%: 1.01–1.31), being in a penitentiary not in Lima (PR: 1.11, CI95%: 1.06–1.17) and perceiving discrimination inside the penitentiary (PR: 1.12, CI95% 1.06–1.18) increased the prevalence of non-treatment.Originality/valueIdentifying the factors associated with non-treatment will allow us to implement measures for prioritizing groups and developing strategies for the evaluation, close follow-up of their health and management of comorbidities.

Impulsive and compulsive reading comprehension in the prison population

BackgroundDevelopmental dyslexia is characterized by reading and writing deficits that persist into adulthood. Dyslexia is strongly associated with academic underachievement, as well as impulsive, compulsive, and criminal behaviors.The aims of this study were to investigate impulsive or compulsive reading comprehension, analyzing the differences in reading errors between two distinct groups —one with Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) and another with Obsessive–Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) and examine their correlation with criminal behavior within a prison population.MethodsWe gathered data from 194 participants: 81 with ASPD and 113 with OCPD from a prison center. Participants took part in interviews to gather data on demographic, criminal, and behavioral data. Additionally, the participants underwent various assessments, including the International Examination for Personality Disorders; Symptom Inventory, and Battery for the Assessment of Reading Processes in Secondary and High School – Revised.ResultsOur analysis revealed differences in reading skills between the ASPD and OCPD groups. Specifically, the OCPD group showed poorer performance on lexical selection, semantic categorization, grammar structures, grammatical judgements, and expository comprehension when compared with the ASPD group. Conversely, the OCPD group obtained higher scores on narrative comprehension relative to the ASPD group.ConclusionsThe OCPD group showed slow lexical-phonological coding and phonological activation.

Self-stigma of incarceration and its impact on health and community integration.

Individuals returning to the wider community from incarceration face many re-entry barriers, including stigmatising beliefs regarding past criminal record, that have impact on health and re-entry. Understanding the development and impact of self-stigma on health can inform re-entry and rehabilitation services. The two aims of this study were first, to evaluate a previously established model of self-stigma applied to individuals who have experienced incarceration and, secondly, to study the impact of self-stigma on physical and mental health as well as community integration on re-entry. This is a cross-sectional study of 129 formerly incarcerated adults recruited using an online platform and asked to complete online rating scales about self-stigmatisation, health and sense of community integration. Repeated-measures analysis of variance, correlation analysis, and path analyses were used to evaluate the model. There was support for the four distinct stages of self-stigmatisation apparent in mental health research. There was a relationship between self-stigma harm and sense of community integration, mediated by mental but not physical health status scores. Our findings add to work on self-stigmatisation in the field of mental health by showing that the concept appears relevant and appears in similar staging among formerly incarcerated individuals and that self-stigmatisation is likely to be important for their community reintegration. Our sample was not typical of the wider prison population for race and gender distribution, in particular having fewer than expected those minority groups likely to be especially vulnerable to stigmatisation by others. Our findings nevertheless suggest that further, preferably, longitudinal research on self-stigma to enable better understanding of pathways could substantially help treatment and rehabilitation of individuals after release from a correctional facility.