The Bronx Reentry Working Group held a forum Thursday on the challenges and obstacles former prison inmates face after being released from prison.

A 56-year-old former inmate, who has been in and out of prison since he was 18, told News 12 The Bronx that the lack of resources and information available is the hardest part of getting out of jail.

Chris Norwood, executive director of Health People, says 58 percent of parolees suffer from drug abuse or mental illness because they are not being linked to care before they leave prison. Norwood's organization provides HIV and AIDS counseling.

Advocates say what they find more disturbing is that 38 percent of inmates released in the Bronx didn't previously live in the borough. They believe this may be due to the large number of shelters and single-room occupancies in certain communities.