Joblessness and homelessness as precursors of health problems in formerly incarcerated African American men.

PURPOSE: To explore how joblessness and homelessness influence the health of men leaving prison.

DESIGN

A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted with 17 formerly incarcerated African American men. Participants were interviewed for 1-2 hours in a private setting. Data were collected over 3 months in late 2001.

METHODS

Questions were focused on the experiences of participants during incarceration and after release from prison. Discourse analysis was used to analyze the data.

FINDING: Findings related to unemployment included, (a) being incarcerated was associated with decreased types of employment available after release from prison, (b) a history of incarceration altered how participants were able to conduct job searches, and (c) men who did well after release were those who were self-employed. Findings related to homelessness showed that barriers in either systems or relationships interfered with finding homes.

CONCLUSIONS

If formerly incarcerated African American men are to reenter society in meaningful ways, steady, living-wage employment and a stable living environment are needed for these men to be able to successfully reintegrate into both families and the larger society, and to avoid conditions that are precursors of health problems.