Improving Access: Identifying Barriers to Services for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals
The Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health (AAIUH) designs, incubates, and replicates communitybased behavioral interventions that empower individuals to address health disparities in urban communities. AAIUH implements several barbershopbased health interventions that train barbers to serve as lay health advocates. The organization is currently developing the ACCESS project, a barbershopbased program that seeks to increase the number of formerly incarcerated minorities utilizing social services that promote successful reentry. AAIUH requested a Capstone team to assist in clarifying the barriers facing the target population when attempting to access services and identify strategies that may increase access. The Capstone team researched current literature regarding barriers to successful reentry and developed and administered a questionnaire for service providers to document barriers at the local level. The final report outlines findings and provides recommendations to practitioners, policy makers, and prison officials.