Stayin' Alive Through Health Education in a Correctional Setting

Individuals who are incarcerated are disproportionately affected by chronic disease, mental health concerns, and substance use, compared to the general population. Despite the need to improve health in individuals who are incarcerated, the delivery of quality health care, including health education, often meets with challenges. Quality health education lays a foundation for improved health, and is one strategy nurses can use to improve the health of incarcerated individuals. To address this pressing health need, students in a community health nursing course at the University of Illinois at Chicago provided health education to men finishing their prison sentences at an adult transition center. Verbal and written statements from the men and the students indicate that the educational offering was a positive experience. One man's attendance at a health education class had a life-changing impact on another man at the center.