In contrast to previous research, the PI will investigate the impact of drug laws and the subsequent sanctions imposed upon those formerly convicted of a drug law on the health of HIV positive individuals.
Individuals most at risk of being substance users are similarly at increased risk of becoming HIV positive. Further complicating this issue, are the restrictions imposed after release on those who have a previous drug charge. In the past decade, rehabilitation services and policies to help inmates reintegrate to their community have disappeared, whereas the legal and practical barriers to reintegration have increased. The proposed study will examine how violating a drug law and subsequent restrictions imposed via welfare reform affect HIV positive individuals’ health in Nashville, TN.
This study was funded by a 2013 Dissertation Grant.