NCJ Number
150326
Journal
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment Communique Dated: (Spring 1993) Pages: 28-30,36
Date Published
1993
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Because prison and jail overcrowding has created an ideal environment for spreading infectious diseases, public awareness is essential about the health impact of the current national drug control strategy.
Abstract
The behavior of drug abusers puts them at high risk for HIV/AIDS and certain other infectious diseases. Therefore, the partnership between corrections and the drug treatment community is important. Drug treatment facilities can play a major role in screening offenders for infectious diseases. In addition, both correctional and drug treatment facilities are in a key position to prevent diseases through education, to screen and provide long-term treatment for tuberculosis and other diseases, and to manage the medical followup of persons with HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses. Changes that are needed for adequate health care delivery in prisons and jails require coordination among correctional health professionals, public health agencies, and community resources. Longer prison sentences mean that the incarcerated population is aging and that more inmates need health care for chronic illnesses. Correctional health services must reorganize to deliver prospective care, adequate followup of inmates with chronic illnesses, and supplementary services. The challenge of HIV infection among offenders means that correctional systems must address such issues as mandatory HIV testing, sharing or protecting information about HIV-infected inmates, housing, terminal care, early intervention treatment, inmate access to investigational drug trials, HIV prevention education, condom distribution, and staff education. Tuberculosis screening and preventive therapy must be provided in prisons and jails, since the incidence of tuberculosis in prisons is at least three times higher than in the general population. Finally, correctional officials must consider medical issues associated with female inmates, such as pregnancy and sexual abuse. Costs associated with addressing inmate health problems are examined.