The transition from prison cell to the community can be a bleak one for many ex-offenders: jobs are scarce, money is tight and housing is non-existent. These challenges are multiplied for offenders who are HIV positive.

A new program supported by a grant from the Minnesota Department of Health aims to address some of those problems and, in particular, help rectify health care disparities among offenders of color.

"When the inmates are being released, it's already difficult for them when they come back into society. It's even more difficult if they have a health disparity," said Agustina Martinez, Manager of Projects for the Minneapolis-based Council on Crime and Justice, the non-profit that is managing the new program.

The Healthy Educational Lifestyles Project (HELP) is designed to identify HIV positive and hepatitis C positive inmates who are released from Minnesota prisons to residences in Hennepin and Ramsay Counties. The goal, once identified, is to help these offenders develop new attitudes that will help them remain crime-free, become self-sufficient and live a healthier lifestyle. It began working with offenders last fall.

To get to this point, the council received a planning grant in 2002 that it used to create a service plan for a particular group of HIV-positive and hepatitis C-positive offenders - men and women of color.

According to Martinez, the council realized through information from AIDS-related service providers that this group of offenders had the most difficult time transitioning back into the community.

So HELP uses a two-pronged approach to assist these offenders: education and advocacy.

Education About Behaviors

The council sends staff members into two Minnesota prisons to conduct health education classes and then provide advocacy services both pre and post-release to offenders.

HELP's health educator, Willie Wessley conducts 10-week course at Lino Lakes and Rush City prisons teaching inmates about sexually transmitted diseases, HIV, hepatitis C and other health issues.

The courses have been ongoing since 2003, but this year HELP changed its curriculum to also include information and suggestions for changing high-risk behaviors that affect health.

"It's not only that they are learning the knowledge of HIV, but also what could happen if they have unprotected sex, for example," said Martinez.

In the courses, inmates are given a pre-test to determine what their knowledge base is and then a post-test to determine what they have learned. In addition, the courses offer an open forum for questions and discussion, which the council believes is an important part of learning and behavior change.

"We want to make sure they have an open place where they can discuss their issues," said Martinez.

The courses are open to all inmates with the hope of educating those who even refuse to be tested for HIV or even those who do not have HIV at all.

"Let's say they probably know they are positive and they are about to be released. What we do is as soon as they are released, within two weeks, we make them have a full medical check up -to see if they are positive or not," said Martinez.

The medical check-up is just the start of the services after release.

Post-Release Connections

HELP's advocacy services begin with staff member Eric McCoy who works with offenders pre-release to provide on-on-one counseling based on need.

The advocacy part of the program includes interactions with community clinics, doctors as well as housing program and services and employment services.

"If there's any need that we cannot provide them, we make sure that we [get] them to the right agency so they get their [needs met]," said Martinez.

And, even though the program is fairly new, it has an idea that it has made a difference.

One recent success story has given council staff the feeling that he programming is right on track.

Martinez said that one offender who began the HELP classes earlier this year was at the end of a two-year sentence and wanted to make life better for himself. He attended classes faithfully and contacted his case advocate from prison and began meeting with his advocate.

Then in March 2004, he was released and began receiving services outside. Today he works in the construction field and lives successfully in the community. Martinez believes that small success stories like this one will make a cumulative difference in the long run for many.

"He has changed his outlook on life and has a strong will to support his family," she said.

By connecting these offenders to employment and giving them a leg up in starting a new life, HELP hopes to show offenders how changes in behavior can benefit them and their loved ones.

"The hope for this program is that we can reduce recidivism and we teach them we can change their behavior," she said.

And, the more that HELP produces success stories, the more word will come back to offenders on the inside that education and asking for help is worth the effort.

"They [get] employment and they [get] housing and they have changed their ways because they have worked with a case advocate," Martinez said. "I think it's important because there is a huge stigma out there and there's not many programs that are doing what we're doing."

Resources:

Council on Crime and Justice www.crimeandjustice.org

Martinez - martineza@crimeandjustice.org