Mortality after release from prison

Abstract

Studies from Europe, Australia, the United States and Taiwan have shown that the rate of mortality in ex-prisoners is elevated in the weeks immediately following release, compared with subsequent weeks. These studies have also shown that mortality rates in ex-prisoners remain elevated, compared with the non-institutionalized population, for many years post-release. Several mechanisms have been hypothesized to explain the elevated risk and a key debate relates to the relative contribution of incarceration itself and the high level of underlying risk among former inmates. Preventive efforts need further development and evaluation, and methodological limitations hinder synthesis of the literature.