Changing Directions
The Intersection of Public Health and Criminal Justice
Mass incarceration is one of the major public health challenges facing the United States, as the millions of people cycling through the courts, jails, and prisons every year experience far higher rates of chronic health problems, substance use, and mental illness than the general population.
In this interview, David Cloud, Senior Program Associate for Vera's Substance Use and Mental Health Program, unpacks the public health implications of mass incarceration and the need to connect the criminal justice and health care systems.
The Intersection of Public Health and Criminal Justice
Creating a Recovery-Informed Framework for Integrated Mental Health and Criminal Justice Responses
The number of people diagnosed with serious mental illness in the U.S. criminal justice system has reached unprecedented levels. Increasingly, people recognize that the justice system is no substitute for a well-functioning community mental health system. Although a range of targeted interventions have emerged over the past two decades, existing ap ...
For people in prisons, family visits offer a way to help sustain hope. But for almost seven months this year, New York State DOCCS deeply limited them.
Most people have somewhere they go that makes them feel good, a place to relax and recharge. Most people have moments to look forward to and make time for. For some, it could be a garden, a quiet room, a park, or maybe just a front porch and favorite chair. For my grandson, he enjoys sitting in a storage bin while watching television. Even childre ...