The link between incarceration and homelessness
Is there a link between incarceration and chronic homelessness in Queensland? Are certain subpopulations in the community more at risk of imprisonment while homeless? Which risk factors increase the likelihood of someone that is homeless entering the corrections system or someone in the corrections system becoming homeless? What are the options to reduce incarceration and recidivism in the homeless population?
As of 7 March 2015 and according to the data collected from the state-wide Home for Good registry weeks, 36.08 per cent of individual survey participants (526 of 1458 people) have served time in prison. In terms of demographics, when compared to the wider registry week cohort it was found that it was 14.91 per cent more likely for males and 13.07 per cent more likely for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to experience both homelessness and incarceration.
Prominent risk factors that may predict imprisonment of those either homeless or at-risk of homelessness include lifetime problematic use of drugs or alcohol (15.35 per cent), daily use of alcohol or other drugs for the past month (10.63 per cent), injectable drug use (8.67 per cent), dual diagnosis, presence of a mental health condition and problematic drug and alcohol usage (8.38 per cent) and tri-morbidity, presence of a chronic health condition, mental health condition and problematic drug and alcohol usage (9.98 per cent).
Interestingly, the data on chronic diseases tells us that survey participants with either zero or one chronic disease are less likely (-3.52 per cent and -16.9 per cent respectively) to have come into contact with the corrections system compared to an increased association between survey participants who have identified as having two and three health conditions (an increased likelihood of 8.44 per cent and 15.1 per cent respectively).
When analysing the effect of particular demographics and risk factors it may not be a coincidence that prison, foster care and cultural background are leading indicators of chronic homelessness (in this case, defined as more than 12 months spent homeless). Interactions with the prison system and foster care system increase the likelihood of being chronically homeless by 14.96 per cent and 10.8 per cent respectively while survey participants who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander face an 8.76 per cent increased chance of spending more than 12 months homeless.
What does this data tell us? Ideally, those who are either experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness and encountering mental health problems, problematic drug and alcohol issues, chronic health issues or a combination of all of the above should be receiving treatment in the community prior to being incarcerated. In a perfect world, housing would be affordable, permanent supportive housing (inclusive of social and health supports) would be available for chronically homeless and complex clients and mental health and drug and alcohol services would provide timely prevention and treatment services ensuring this problem was addressed. In the interim, there is still a significant body of work to be done for people who are currently involved in the corrections system to lower the chance of reoffending and cycling between homelessness and prison.
The Jail Inreach Project in Harris County, Texas began in 2007 with the aim to engage incarcerated persons who were homeless on entry to prison or at-risk of homelessness on release in intense case management. The primary aim was to address drug and alcohol and/or mental health issues while incarcerated but also put a plan in place for post-release to ensure continuity of care between prison and primary and behavioural health care. Project outcomes were measured and analysed mid-2009 and it was found that:
56 per cent of cases resulted in successful linkage to service post-release
Those who were linked to services had arrest rates that were 36 per cent lower compared with the number of arrests the year before and year after involvement in the program
The average number of days spent in jail decreased from approximately 65 days to 42 days during the year after contact with the program
Total annual criminal charges for each participant had also been reduced by 56 per cent during the year after the program.
The project achieved significant cost savings and health outcomes in the prison cohort however was viewed to be restricted by the capacity of community resources to provide services after a detainee was released in addition to being hamstrung by a shortage of psychiatric, housing, drug and alcohol and health services. The Jail Inreach Project is a positive example of how one community has worked to break the often continuous cycle between homelessness and incarceration.
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