(NPR) – For years, people like Valdez have often been left to fend for themselves when seeking health care services after their release from jail, prison, or other carceral facilities. Despite this population’s high rate of mental health problems and substance use disorder, they often return to their communities with no coverage, which increases their chances of dying, or suffering a lapse that sends them back behind bars.

A new federal law aims to better connect incarcerated children and young adults who are eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program to services before their release. The goal is to help prevent them from developing a health crisis or reoffending as they work to reestablish themselves. (Read More)