Hepatitis Testing and Treatment in State Prisons

• NCJ Number: 199173
• Author(s): Allen J. Beck Ph.D.; Laura M. Maruschak
• Date Published: April 2004
• Length: 4 pages
• Publication Series: BJS Special Reports
• Agencies: BJS
• Publication Type: Statistics

Annotation

This report presents facility policies related to hepatitis C testing and treatment and hepatitis B vaccinations, based on the 2000 Census of State and Federal Adult Correctional Facilities, which gathered data from 1,584 State institutions.

Abstract

Presents facility policies related to hepatitis C testing and treatment and hepatitis B vaccinations, based on the 2000 Census of State and Federal Adult Correctional Facilities, which gathered data from 1,584 State institutions. This report also includes data on the number of hepatitis C tests conducted, the number of tests confirmed positive, and the number of inmates treated for hepatitis C. The report provides information on hepatitis B, the number of 3-dose series hepatitis B vaccination policies, and the number of inmates who received vaccinations in the 12-month period ending June 30, 2000.

• At midyear 2000, 1,113,035 inmates (94% of all inmates) were held in facilities that reported having a testing policy for hepatitis C.
• 33% of tests in facilities that tested only targeted groups were positive compared to 27% of those in facilities that conducted broad tests (random basis or all inmates).
• Of the 1,033 facilities that provide hepatitis B vaccinations, 680 (66%) had a policy to vaccinate inmates in high-risk groups.