Multiple Disadvantage and Social Networks: Toward an Integrated Theory of Health Care Use During Reentry From Criminal Justice Settings.

Abstract

Research consistently finds the disproportionate negative health impact of the criminal justice system on racial and ethnic minorities. Yet less is known about the underlying mechanisms of health care utilization during community reintegration. We contribute to the literature theoretically by integrating two perspectives: network theory of social capital and multiple disadvantage hypothesis and providing a more nuanced explanation of health service use during reentry. We identify incarceration history as a unique disadvantaged status that precludes people from accessing social networks and social capital. We further elaborate on the phenomenon of racialized reentry and illustrate how multiple disadvantaged statuses are linked to social networks and health care.