ABSTRACT
Recognizing the limits of reentry literature focused almost exclusively on post-release reoffending, Fahmy and Wallace, in Chapter 6, turn to the many impacts of incarceration on individual and public health. Because physical health of incarcerated persons has been particularly overlooked, they describe the troubling health outcomes that have been reported among incarcerated populations. While some of these outcomes stem from the more rapid spread of communicable diseases in the institutional context, Fahmy and Wallace are keen to point out that many of the health effects of incarceration, like hypertension and diabetes, might be explained by the chronic stress associated with the experience of incarceration. After focusing on the health effects, as measured by outcomes, Fahmy and Wallace offer a number of theoretical mechanisms by which the health effects of incarceration might be linked to health effects in the community. Given the relative paucity of research in this area, Fahmy and Wallace conclude by describing some of the many publicly available datasets that might help future scholars interested in health outcomes pursue their research agendas.
