title: Survey finds that many prisons and jails have room to improve HIV testing and coordination of postrelease treatment.
abstract: Early diagnosis of HIV and effective antiretroviral treatment are key elements in efforts to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with HIV. Incarcerated populations are disproportionately affected by HIV, with the disease's prevalence among inmates estimated to be three to five times higher than among the general population. Correctional institutions offer important opportunities to test for HIV and link infected people to postrelease treatment services. To examine HIV testing and policies that help HIV-positive people obtain treatment in the community after release, we administered a survey to the medical directors of the fifty state prison systems and of forty of the largest jails in the United States. We found that 19 percent of prison systems and 35 percent of jails provide opt-out HIV testing, which is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Additionally, fewer than 20 percent of prisons and jails conform to the CDC's recommendations regarding discharge planning services for inmates transitioning to the community: making an appointment with a community health care provider, assisting with enrollment in an entitlement program, and providing a copy of the medical record and a supply of HIV medications. These findings suggest that opportunities for HIV diagnosis and linking HIV-positive inmates to community care after release are being missed in the majority of prison systems and jails.
authors.forename: Liza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Solomon
authors.forename: Brian T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Montague
authors.forename: Curt G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Beckwith
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baillargeon
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Dora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dumont
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kurth
authors.forename: Josiah D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Rich
mesh_terms: D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis / Q000639:trends*; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005544:Forecasting; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000639:trends*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000639:trends; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000639:trends; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000639:trends*; D011330:Prisons / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000639:trends*; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000639:trends*; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents
keywords: Criminal justice; HIV discharge services; HIV testing: jails; HIV testing: prisons; HIV/AIDS