Risk, protection and mental health among incarcerated people

This study aims to examine how elements of prison routine are associated with mental health distress among incarcerated individuals in state prisons, and whether these associations differ according to self-reported mental disorder diagnosis.

Using data from the 2016 US Survey of Prison Inmates (N = 19,734), the authors estimated survey-weighted linear regression models with jackknife repeated replication. Two sets of models examined participation in job training, educational programming and physical exercise. Interaction terms assessed whether associations differed according to mental disorder diagnosis. Recent-participation analyses used survey subpopulation estimation.

Job training and physical exercise were associated with lower mental health distress, whereas educational programs were not significantly associated with distress. Significant interactions indicated that associations with job training and exercise were stronger among inmates with a mental disorder diagnosis.

Expanding access to job training and regular exercise programs may be an effective, feasible strategy to reduce psychological distress in correctional settings. Prioritizing program availability for inmates with a mental health diagnosis may yield particularly strong mental health and behavioral benefits.

By focusing on modifiable aspects of prison routine, this study identifies job training and physical exercise as institutional factors associated with mental health distress and demonstrates that these associations vary according to mental disorder diagnosis.