Incarcerated Individuals

Inmates are faced with several challenges to reintegrate with society after incarceration, much more than just the stigma of being perceived as a criminal. A peer coach with the same lived experience can make a profound difference by using their personal experience to connect inmates to resources, communicate without judgment, and provide support as they re-acclimate to society.

Almost 90% of former inmates return to drug use after release. Youturn Health's virtual program improves those odds by making support accessible to users grappling with stress, anxiety, depression, or suicidal ideation.

Commissioner Randall Liberty talks about the programs he's put into Maine prisons and jails to provide supportive interventions like Medication Assisted Treatment to reduce opioid overdoses and recidivism.

Hear how Youturn Health advisory board member Jon Ponder uses his own struggles and experiences with the prison system and substance use disorder to help inmates prepare for all aspects of societal re-entry. Jon is the CEO of Hope For Prisoners, an organization that assists people returning home from prison by providing long-term support and services as they work to reclaim their lives and rejoin their families and their standing in the community. We give them hope. Hope changes lives.

While it’s not the job of Corrections Officers to address inmate mental health, it is unavoidable. Get risk factors, red flags, and stressors unique to a prison environment that may indicate an inmate is considering suicide. Also get next steps to take if you think an inmate is at risk.