Hepatitis C in the criminal justice system: opportunities for global action in the era of viral hepatitis elimination

Abstract

Not only is HCV screening in correctional settings complicated by a lack of HCV-related knowledge, incarcerated individuals often do not provide a complete history of injection drug use due to the stigma associated with substance use disorders and fear of incrimination [3]. [...]risk-based, targeted screening may miss opportunities to make HCV diagnoses. Even in nations with more widespread access to DAAs like the USA, the majority of facilities do not provide HCV treatment despite comparable outcomes in correctional settings [6, 7]. Beyond justice-involved individuals themselves, the high rate of substance use disorders within this population indicates that this group plays a large role in community transmission. [...]HCV treatment in correctional settings not only benefits this high-risk population, but paves the way for preventing HCV transmission in the communities to which justice-involved individuals return.