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Corrections Health Initiative

Assistance for incarcerated individuals and re-entrants

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Resources and services for incarcerated individuals

The Alliance for Positive Health’s Corrections Health Initiative (CHI) supports individuals during incarceration and as they prepare to return to the community.

While incarcerated, we provide health education, prevention services, and care coordination — including specialized support for individuals living with or at risk for HIV and hepatitis C.

As individuals prepare for release, we offer reentry planning, basic needs support, and connections to community resources to help ensure a successful transition.

Our services help individuals access housing, healthcare, employment resources, and ongoing support — reducing barriers, improving health outcomes, and promoting long-term stability after release.

Services available

Support While Incarcerated

We work with individuals during incarceration to help build knowledge, confidence, and skills for long-term health and stability. Services include:

Health education on HIV and hepatitis C prevention and transmission
Peer leadership and education opportunities
Transitional planning for release
Resource navigation and service referrals

Specialized Health Support

Our team helps ensure continuity of care before and after release with specialized support for individuals living with or at risk for HIV and hepatitis C. Services include:

HIV and hepatitis C education and prevention
Care coordination and linkage to medical treatment
Health navigation and support services
Peer education programs
Health literacy and stigma reduction education

Preparing for Release? We Can Help.

If you are being released from incarceration within the next 3 months, our team can help you connect to essential services and resources — even if you don’t know where to start. We help people returning to any county within our service area find:

Housing and affordable housing options
Food pantries and basic needs resources
Employment and job readiness support
Medical care and health services
Legal assistance
Community and social service connections

You do not need to be living with HIV or hepatitis C to receive reentry support.

Who is eligible?

To qualify for a 30-session Peer Education Training, you must

Be incarcerated in the Great Meadow Hub (Coxsackie, Great Meadow, Greene, Hudson, and Washington Correctional Facilities) or the Clinton Hub (Adirondack, Altona, Clinton, Franklin, and Upstate Correctional Facilities)

To qualify for SDOH re-entry services, you must

Be incarcerated in and releasing within 3 months from one of the following Correctional Facilities: Adirondack, Altona, Clinton, Coxsackie, Franklin, Great Meadow, Greene, Hudson, Upstate, Washington

To qualify for services while incarcerated, you must

Be living with HIV/AIDS and/or hepatitis C, and

Be incarcerated in one of the following Correctional Facilities: Adirondack, Altona, Clinton, Coxsackie, Franklin, Great Meadow, Greene, Hudson, Upstate, Washington

To qualify for Community Linkage and Navigation Services, you must

Be living with HIV/AIDS, and

Be returning from or have been released from incarceration in the last 18 months to one of the following counties: Albany, Clinton, Columbia, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren, Washington

Frequently asked questions about the Corrections Health Initiative

What facilities do I have to be incarcerated in to receive services?

Our Albany location services the Great Meadow Hub. This includes Coxsackie, Great Meadow, Greene, Hudson, and Washington Correctional Facilities. Our Plattsburgh location services the Clinton Hub. This includes Adirondack, Altona, Bare Hill, Clinton, Franklin, and Upstate Correctional Facilities.

Where do you have transitional planning and care management services?

Our In-Facility Linkage Specialists provide services directly to incarcerated individuals in the Correctional Facilities we serve. Our Community Linkage Specialists provide services to reentrants throughout our entire 15-county catchment region.

Albany, Clinton, Columbia, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren, and Washington counties

I have a family member returning from incarceration, can you help them?

If they are living with HIV and/or Hepatitis C, releasing from any Correctional Facility within the Great Meadow or Clinton Hubs and/or releasing to any of our 15 catchment counties, they would be eligible for our Linkage and Navigation services.

Are there services like this in other areas or correctional facilities in New York State?

Yes! We work with a network of other Community Based Organizations (CBO’s) like ours throughout the state, that provide most of the SAME services for incarcerated individuals and re-entrants. This is great if our clients get transferred, or released to a different location in the state, as well as ensuring continuity of care. We are always happy to provide a referral or connect you with the appropriate CHI CBO if needed.

How can someone I know, incarcerated sign up for peer education training?

Incarcerated individuals can speak/write to their Offender Rehabilitation Coordinator (ORC) or write directly to our Plattsburgh or Albany offices. Letters should be written to the attention of the Corrections Health Initiative.

How will peer Education help an individual incarcerated and after release?

Peer education provides opportunities for participants to learn public speaking, group facilitation, and other transferrable skills. Throughout the duration of the class, participants speak on topics such as cultural awareness, humility, and stigma, in relation to HIV/STIs/HCV and other social determinants of health. The program also allows graduates of the program to educate other incarcerated persons about HIV/STIs/HCV. Once graduated and released, the participants can contact and connect with CBOs across the state to see if their knowledge and skills can be utilized in the workplace setting.

Looking for more information about Corrections Health Initiative?

Contact Us

Alliance for Positive Health
Corrections Health Initiative
845 Central Ave
Albany, NY 12206

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