High Risk for Death in Recently Released Prisoners

The U.S. has the world’s highest per capita incarceration rate. Studies from other countries have suggested a high mortality rate after release from prison, but these findings have not been confirmed in the U.S.

Investigators identified 30,237 people who were released from prisons in Washington State from mid-1999 through 2003. Mortality data for the released prisoners and all state residents were obtained from CDC databases for the same period.

Within 2 weeks after release, ex-prisoners were 12.7 times more likely to die than other state residents matched for age, sex, and race; 71% of these deaths were caused by drug overdoses. During a mean follow-up of 1.9 years, their adjusted relative mortality risk was 3.5; drug overdose remained the l…