In the United States, some populations suffer from far greater disparities in health than others. Those disparities are caused not only by fundamental differences in health status across segments of the population, but also because of inequities in factors that impact health status, so-called determinants of health.Only part of an individual's health status depends on his or her behavior and choice; community-wide problems like poverty, unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor public transportation, interpersonal violence, and decaying neighborhoods also contribute to health inequities, as well as the historic and ongoing interplay of structures, policies, and norms that shape lives. When these factors are not optimal in a community, it does not mean they are intractable: such inequities can be mitigated by social policies that can shape health in powerful ways. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity seeks to delineate the causes of and the solutions to health inequities in the United States. This report focuses on what communities can do to promote health equity, what actions are needed by the many and varied stakeholders that are part of communities or support them, as well as the root causes and structural barriers that need to be overcome.

Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity

This article reviews the current trends and impact of mass incarceration on communities of color, with a focus on criminal justice policy and practice contributors to racial disparity. The impact of these disproportionate incarceration rates on public safety, offenders, and communities are discussed. Recommendations for criminal justice and other policy reforms to reduce unwarranted racial disparities are offered.

/pdf/addressing-racial-disparities-in-incarceration-1ex2kycyhy.pdf

Addressing racial disparities in incarceration.

Prevalence and pathways of recovery from drug and alcohol problems in the United States population: Implications for practice, research, and policy.

The primary objective of this chapter is to provide information on economic, psychiatric, and cultural factors that influence service access by racial/ethnic minority women. A secondary objective is to discuss the policy implications of existing research for mental health services that are provided to this population. These objectives draw from the extent and nature of the problems faced by minority women. According to the recent estimates, of the nearly 153 million women living in the USA, more than 31 million (20%) are members of racial/ethnic minorities (U.S. Census Bureau 2007). Their health, therefore, both physical and mental, assumes significance in terms of health services provision and overall social policy.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities

Sexual victimization perpetrated by women: Federal data reveal surprising prevalence

It is estimated that nearly 4 million children are victims of serious assault, and 9 million have witnessed a serious violent act (Yale Child Study Center, 2001). A 1993 study reported that nearly 20% of fi rst and second graders had been a victim of violence and 61% had witnessed violence within their community (Richters & Martinez, 1993). In the same year, a separate study reported that homicide was the leading cause of death among African American youths (National Research Council, 1993). When children are exposed to violence, they suffer not only the immediate trauma of the incident, but this trauma creates a “socially toxic” environment that also tends to negatively affect children’s normal development and their future well being (Garbarino, 1995). For example, children exposed to domestic violence are more likely than non-exposed children to be abused or neglected, and more likely to later be in an abusive adult relationship, as either aggressor or victim. Youth encounter violence in every arena of their daily life—at home, at school, through the media, or on the streets of their neighborhoods.

Children Exposed to Violence

/pdf/the-extravagance-of-imprisonment-revisited-525uiuaglm.pdf

The Extravagance of Imprisonment Revisited

As concerns over the current economic situation continue to grow, the question of the correlation between increased crime and a depressed economy has resurfaced. Do economic instability and its discontents, such as unemployment, reduced wages, and reduced social services lead to a general increase in criminal activity? News stories about a supposed rise in crime caused by the economic crisis are appearing regularly around the country. Recent reports by Associated Press, the Los Angeles Times, and USA Today seem to start from the assumption of a distinct and causal relationship. In addition, articles often focus on one city’s problems. For example, the Times headline reads “Crime continues to fall in Los Angeles despite bad economy,” while USA Today cites residents of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, who are convinced that “Desperate people do desperate things” because their city has seen an increase in property crimes. Both the causes of crime and the workings of the economy are immensely complex questions, and a clear, direct relationship is nearly impossible to prove. Crime stems from a multitude of variables including economic measures, demographic dynamics, health indicators, and social safety nets.

/pdf/crime-and-economic-hard-times-4mihpwdz87.pdf

Crime and Economic Hard Times

Created Equal: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the US Criminal Justice System

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Children Exposed to Violence

The Extravagance of Imprisonment Revisited

Crime and Economic Hard Times

Created Equal: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the US Criminal Justice System