Conceptualizing Peer Support to Mitigate the Rural-Urban Divide

Abstract

The ‘urban-rural’ divide is often used in research to analyze political, social, cultural, economic, and other differences between urban and rural areas in the United States. There is also an urban-rural divide within criminological research. Most existing research on reentry experiences centers on individuals and programs located in urban areas. Thus, there is a knowledge gap regarding how reentry experiences are impacted by an individual residing in a rural community. Rural inhabitants may have less access to resources, social support, and trauma-informed care than their urban counterparts. They are also more susceptible to trauma and incarceration. There is limited research on the urban-rural divide, trauma, and co-occurring disorders among individuals with criminal justice involvement. However, the available research indicates that rural residents encounter unique barriers to care access and that creative responses are required. Utilizing data from a larger study of reentry in Indiana and Kentucky, we explore the reentry experiences of individuals released to rural counties and those geographically relocated to urban areas by the criminal legal system. Moreover, we explore how peer support can address the gaps in traditional reentry programming. Peer Support is an empirical evidence-based practice that can aid in the recovery from trauma and the surmounting obstacles posed by intersectional identities and the criminal legal system. The article examines the conceptualization of peer support as a means of mitigating the urban-rural divide's effects on individuals battling intersectionality disparities, co-occurring disorders, trauma, and criminal justice system impacts.