Surveys done to access the needs of clients often find that the top three problems formerly incarcerated persons face are 1) unemployment, 2) lack of affordable and stable housing, and 3) transportation. Now, the Fortune Society has provided a report that gives credence to a problem that has also been reported by reentrants, and is usually fourth on the list: lack of food, particularly nutritious food.
Prison diets are not always the healthiest, and when reentrants come back into the community the diet to which they have access is not often much better. Since a poor diet is a precursor to poor health, those with poor nutrition are often seen more by doctors, and admitted into the hospital at a higher rate than those with healthy eating habits. How does a poor diet relate to reentry? The physical ailments associated with poor nutrition might prevent someone from being hired, or from keeping a job. The report states that poor nutrition contributes to aggression, anxiety and depression, and also decreases one’s productivity. With the other road blocks reentrants face, being food insecure can add another barrier to successful reentry.
The Fortune Society and New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service have put together an interactive map that shows some of the area most populated by Fortune Society clients are the ones that are designated as food insecure or highly food insecure. click here to go to website The corresponding document offers a copy of the survey used to accumulate data on the problem, and also includes recommendations to encourage communities to consume healthier diets. In addition, a list of organizations working to bring more nutritious food to underserved neighborhoods is listed. Along with other services reentrants need to keep from going back to prison, the Fortune Society includes proper nutrition as a path to successful reentry. Other reentry service providers might find the report helpful in identifying and addressing the problem of hunger and poor nutrition among their clients.
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