FOCUS
Toyan’s research explores the reentry process; specifically, familial involvement and how formerly incarcerated people access healthcare and engage with health recommendations. He seeks to understand the experiences formerly incarcerated people encounter when they seek treatment in their communities. Toyan’s research particularly focuses on reducing system inefficiencies—between prisons and other institutions such as hospitals—that interrupt the continuum of care formerly incarcerated people receive. Using a mixed-methods approach, Toyan seeks to inform policy decisions and facilitate a smoother integration of care received in prisons and within communities post-release. He aspires to working toward a more just and humane society that prioritizes health equity for people and communities that have historically experienced marginalization and exclusion.
MORE ABOUT TOYAN
Toyan knows several family members and friends who encountered the criminal legal system, where he witnessed the enduring impact of system involvement. Toyan worked in a youth detention center as a creative writing instructor and at various social justice-oriented nonprofits. He is committed to decarceration efforts and reimagining reentry.
DISSERTATION GRANT AWARDEE — SPRING 2025
Health Beyond Bars: A Narrative Study Investigating Autonomy and Healthcare Decision-Making among Formerly Incarcerated Individuals
TJ’s research explores the relationship between the sense of autonomy and agency of formerly incarcerated people and their decisions to seek, or not seek, care. His project examines how the experience of incarceration shapes the way people envision their health needs after release and the role their families, who largely shoulder the burden of their return, play in their healthcare decision making. That is, TJ’s work maps healthcare decisions onto a network of care.
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