Determinants and Consequences of Food and Nutrition Insecurity in Justice-Impacted Populations

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the state of the science of food and nutrition security among justice-impacted populations, identify who might be most at-risk and health consequences, and to highlight areas for continued research and policy implications.

This population is at-risk for experiencing food and nutrition insecurity due to high rates of unemployment, parental history of incarceration, housing instability, depressive symptoms, and social isolation, which result from involvement with the corrections system. Health consequences associated with food insecurity include depressive symptoms, self-reporting lower health status, and engaging in HIV-risk behaviors. The justice-impacted population has a disproportionately higher risk of chronic and infectious diseases compared to the general population. Compounding this with food and nutrition insecurity can exacerbate these outcomes and further contribute to poor health. Structural issues related to nutrition safety net programs and employment create barriers to healthy food access. More research related to food, employment, and corrections system policies are critical to improve the well-being of this population.