EJI opens health clinic for people released from prison, jail

The Equal Justice Initiative, known for its advocacy for Alabama state inmates and for drawing attention to problems in the prison system, has added health care to its services.

The EJI, a private, non-profit social justice organization, announced today it has opened a clinic in Montgomery that will provide free health screenings to people released from jail or prison.

In a news release, the EJI said illnesses that go undiagnosed during incarceration can lead to serious health problems and disrupt the efforts of former inmates to successfully resume their lives after prison. The EJI Health Clinic will be available to any person recently released from jail or prison. The clinic will provide free screenings and limited care for a range of diseases and illnesses.

“It’s clear that we could improve public safety, reduce crime, and lower the recidivism rate if we focused more on health care for people in jails and prisons and those who are released,” EJI Director Bryan Stevenson said. “We believe EJI Health can make a positive contribution to helping people re-enter society but also promote healthier communities and improved public safety.”

In addition to the clinic in Montgomery, EJI is operating a mobile clinic for underserved areas across the state to provide health support and assistance to those in need.

For more information about the clinic or to schedule an appointment, people recently released from custody can call EJI Health at 334-239-9740 or email [email protected].

EJI’s health services are part of an anti-poverty initiative it announced last year. The organization said it is helping hundreds of families who need assistance with food.

The clinic is the latest in a series of projects the EJI has developed in Montgomery over the last five years. In 2018, the EJI opened the National Memorial to Peace and Justice, an outdoor monument to lynching victims, and The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration. In 2021, the EJI reopened an expanded Legacy Museum in a new location.