Injecting Risk Into Prison Sentences: A Quantitative Analysis of a Prisoner-Driven Survey to Measure HCV/HIV Seroprevalence, Risk Practices, and Viral Testing at One Canadian Male Federal Prison

• NCJ Number: 236063
• Journal: Prison Journal Volume: 91 Issue: 3 Dated: September 2011 Pages: 325-346
• Author(s): Kevin Denys Bonnycastle; Charles Villebrun
• Date Published: September 2011
• Length: 22 pages
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)

Annotation

This article examines HCV/HIV seroprevalence and risk behaviors in one Canadian male prison.

Abstract

This article draws on penal epidemiological studies to analyze data from a prisoner-driven survey measuring HCV/HIV seroprevalence and risk behaviors in one Canadian male prison. Study data illuminate confounding points of potential blood exchange among injectors and noninjectors, HCV/HIV carriers and noncarriers, tested and untested prisoners, and prison and free community members. The survey finds higher HCV/HIV incidence and testing rates among injectors, and a penal population educated about high-risk practices. This study includes the first point-in-time estimate by penal injectors on the number and condition of needles/syringes, identifying an overlooked HCV conduit: the transfer of abandoned syringe components to new(er) syringes. (Published Abstract)