Hepatitis C Awareness Workshop at Port Augusta Prison for Indigenous Inmates

• NCJ Number: 194140
• Author(s): Anton Colman; Ian Crombie
• Date Published: October 2001
• Length: 4 pages
• Sale Source: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description; Conference Material
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: Paper presented at the Best Practice Interventions in Corrections for Indigenous People Conference, Sydney, Australia, October 8-9, 2001; downloaded February 5, 2002.

Annotation

This paper describes the development of the components of a hepatitis C awareness program at the Port Augusta Prison in South Australia, with attention to why program components have been effective with semi-traditional Aboriginal men.

Abstract

There was anecdotal evidence from the prisoner peer support program that IV drug use and the sharing of equipment was occurring in Port Augusta Prison. Hepatitis C is often transmitted through the use of infected needles. The hepatitis C awareness sessions were viewed as a good opportunity to gauge Anangu (semi-traditional Aborigines) inmates' knowledge of hepatitis C and to expose them to the risks and modes of transmission of hepatitis C in prison. Other aims of the sessions were for Anangu inmates to take this knowledge and safer practices back to their home communities upon release from prison. The program acknowledged the limited education and reading and writing skills of the target group. Interactive and visual teaching aids were used. The first program components involved 12 statements about hepatitis C, with participants' options being to circle "agree" or "disagree." Seven of the questions were about modes of transmission, two about the virus, and three regarding symptoms. Questions were placed on an overhead projector, and each question was read aloud. Men who had difficulty with this component received translations in Pitjantjatjara. The second component of the session was a card game developed from concepts commonly used with HIV prevention and sexual health programs. The third component touched on information about hepatitis, including symptoms, blood tests, treatment options, diet and lifestyle, using overheads, visuals, and demonstrations. The fourth component was a video on health promotion, and the final component consisted of a cook-out and an evaluation. A quiz found that a high percentage of the information communicated in the sessions was understood and retained. The sessions are conducted approximately every 4 months due to the high percentage of Anangu short-term inmates. The sessions have also begun in other prisons.