"The stress will kill you": Prisoner reentry as experienced by family members and the urgent need for support services

Suzanne M. Dolwick Grieb, Amelia Crawford, Julie Fields, Horace Smith, Richard Harris, Pamela Matson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

22 Scopus citations

Abstract

The role of incarceration and community reentry after incarceration has been studied extensively for individual and community health; however, little attention has been given to the experiences of individuals who provide support to those in reentry. Through a community-academic partnership, seven focus groups were conducted with 39 individuals supporting a family member in reentry in the summer of 2012. The primary objectives of the focus groups were to explore community experiences and perspectives regarding providing support during a family member's reentry from a period of incarceration and any desired support for themselves during this time. Five themes emerged under a metatheme of stress, indicating that family members experience acute stress as a result of family reentry that adds to the chronic stress they already endure. Programs that acknowledge the difficult role of family members as supporters during an individual's reentry and provide support to them are desperately needed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1183-1200
Number of pages18
JournalJournal of health care for the poor and underserved
Volume25
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2014

Keywords

  • Community-based participatory research
  • Family
  • Incarceration
  • Reentry
  • Stress

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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