NCJ Number
223165
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 70 Issue: 3 Dated: June 2008 Pages: 18-20
Date Published
June 2008
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article describes procedures for the automatic HIV testing of all inmates when they enter and leave the District of Columbia's Central Detention Facility (DC Jail), as well as the DC Jail's HIV prevention and education program and community-oriented inmate healthcare model.
Abstract
Inmates are screened for HIV at intake and again before they are released by testing a saliva sample obtained by swabbing around the gums. An inmate may decide not to be tested for HIV, in which case he/she is referred to a medical professional who counsels the inmate on the importance of the screening procedure. The inmate may still elect not to be tested, and no disciplinary action is attached to that decision. Such large-scale HIV testing of jail inmates is a pioneering effort, since most correctional systems test for HIV under limited, voluntary conditions. HIV prevention is promoted among DC Jail inmates through a host of measures, including counseling, condom distribution, peer education, and, most recently, educational television programming. In October 2006, the DC Department of Corrections changed its inmate medical program to a community-oriented healthcare system. Under this model, inmates are viewed as temporarily displaced members of the community, with neighborhood health centers serving as the critical link to care both in and out of jail. Central to this model is the single entity responsible for managing inmates under a full healthcare continuum. This entity is Unity Health Care, the District of Columbia's largest federally qualified health center. Medical teams from 28 community-based clinics, along with staff assigned to the jail, practice at the detention facility to diagnose diseases and develop treatment plans. Each released inmate has a comprehensive healthcare plan and a medical appointment at a community health center upon release. 4 notes