Project START
An Evidence-Based Practice
Description
Project START is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) prevention program sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for young men aged 18-29 years who are leaving prison. Young men who are incarcerated have disproportionate rates of HIV, STDs, and hepatitis. Project START provides HIV/STD education and skills building to these men before they leave prison and return to the community. The project has sites at eight state prisons in California, Mississippi, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin, and the extended intervention includes two pre-release sessions and continues with four individual sessions at 1, 3, 6, and 12 weeks post-release. These sessions focus on harm reduction, problem solving, enhancing motivation for behavioral change, and facilitating access to existing community services.
Goal / Mission
The goal of Project START is to reduce sexual risk behavior of young men re-entering the community after incarceration.
Results / Accomplishments
Project START has reached over 500 inmates at 8 prisons nationwide. At 24 weeks post-release (12 weeks after the final intervention session) participants in the Project START enhanced intervention group were significantly less likely to report unprotected vaginal or anal intercourse during their most recent sexual encounter than those who received only a single session intervention (59% vs 69%). They were also significantly less likely to report any unprotected intercourse over the reporting periods (68% vs 78%) and less likely to have unprotected intercourse with their main partner (54% vs 66%). These data show that a multi-session intervention that bridges incarceration and community re-entry such as Project START is successful at reducing sexual risk behavior.
About this Promising Practice
Organization(s)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Primary Contact
Richard J. Wolitski, PhD
Prevention Research Branch
Divisions of HIV and AIDS Prevention
National Center for HIV, STD, ad TB Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd NE (MS E-37)
Atlanta, GA
rwolitski@cdc.gov
https://effectiveinterventions.cdc.gov/en/highimpa...
Prevention Research Branch
Divisions of HIV and AIDS Prevention
National Center for HIV, STD, ad TB Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd NE (MS E-37)
Atlanta, GA
rwolitski@cdc.gov
https://effectiveinterventions.cdc.gov/en/highimpa...
Topics
Health / Immunizations & Infectious Diseases
Community / Crime & Crime Prevention
Health / Prevention & Safety
Community / Crime & Crime Prevention
Health / Prevention & Safety
Organization(s)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Source
American Journal of Public Health
Date of publication
Oct 2006
Date of implementation
2001
Location
USA
For more details
Target Audience
Adults
Additional Audience
Prison Inmates