From Juvenile Justice Information Exchange:
I remember every collapsing sensation in my body when I received the phone call notifying me of his death. I was 22, he was 23 — my boyfriend had died in a freak hiking accident. His loss was devastating to all of us who loved him. His loss was also tragic for the communities he could have continued to contribute to. The future potential of this young man was never fully realized. But I take comfort knowing that up until my boyfriend’s death, he was living freely, wildly and pursuing his dreams.
Twelve thousand other individuals are released from state and federal prisons around this country each week, dreaming of living freely and pursuing their goals. Yet they face great risks that they are not aware of, that their loved ones are not aware of, that our community members are not aware of — they face an alarmingly heightened risk for death compared to other people.
Formerly incarcerated individuals have a death rate 3.5 times that of individuals who have never been incarcerated. During the first two weeks after release, this risk skyrockets. Formerly incarcerated individuals are nearly 13 times more likely to die in those two weeks when compared to other people. Risk for death more than doubles for individuals who have been incarcerated multiple times. The leading causes of death for formerly incarcerated individuals in the year after release from incarceration are drug overdose, chronic illness, homicide and suicide. Continue reading >>>
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