What Are the Public Health Implications of Prisoner Reentry in California?

T he landscape for assessing the public health implications of prisoner reentry in California has changed dramatically over the past few years. First, California (and the nation as a whole) is in the midst of a deep and persistent recession, which has significantly weakened the health care safety net that ex-prisoners rely on. Second, California’s new 2011 Public Safety Realignment Plan—which shifts responsibility for low-level offenders away from the state and on to counties—will have a number of implications for thinking about meeting the health care and rehabilitative needs of the reentry population. Finally, implementation of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) will expand Medicaid eligibility and, thus, will help in removing a key barrier to access to care for the reentry population. This puts California at an important crossroads: The state faces numerous challenges, but the recent changes in policy also present important opportunities to improve California’s ability to meet the needs of individuals returning from state prison. In this context, then, it is critical to better understand the public health issues associated with returning ex-prisoners, to help communities and providers in the communities to which ex-prisoners return better meet the reentry and health care needs of this population. This study helps inform planning for these policy changes by producing a “state-of-the-state” report—a synthesis of findings from a multiyear effort—that examines the specific health care needs of California’s reentry population, the public health challenges of reentry in California, and the policy options for improving access to Key findings: