Date :

11 May 2011

Time :

12:15 – 13:30

Presenter :

Prof. Evelyne F. Vallières, Télé-université (UQAM) Montreal, Quebec, Canada

The present paper states the preliminary results of our research project conducted with ex-prisoners from four countries (Canada, France, Ivory Coast and South Africa). The goal of the project was to explore and compare the psychosocial determinants of HIV and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) risk behaviours among ex-offenders from the four countries (Project SSHRC -FII-861-2007-1019: Vallières et al. 2007).  

Two studies were carried out in each country: a pilot study, conducted by interviewing a small number of ex-offenders, and a more extensive field study that used a self-report questionnaire with ex-offenders and a control group. The present paper will focus on the results obtained in the field study.  The study involved around 260 participants – about half ex-prisoners and the other half control participants between 21 and 50 years of age. We will present results relative on the type of information ex-offenders participants received, the level of their knowledge about HIV/AIDS and HCV, modes of transmission, etc. Comparison of the results obtained for each country will also be presented and discussed. 

Evelyne Vallières is professor in psychology since 1999 at Télé-université, Université du Québec à Montréal. After graduating, she worked as a research manager for Correctional Service of Canada and then as an institutional researcher at l’Université du Québec à Montréal. Her research interests and work has been in the field of offending, victimization, risky driving and risky behaviours related to health (e.g. HIV and STI) in a transcultural perspective.

The presentation from the seminar is available for download

The audio presentation from the seminar is available for download

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