Policies and Practices in the Delivery of HIV Services in Correctional Agencies and Facilities: Results From a Multisite Survey

• NCJ Number: 244385
• Journal: Journal of Correctional Health Care Volume: 19 Issue: 4 Dated: October 2013 Pages: 293-310
• Author(s): Steven Belenko, Ph.D.; Matthew Hiller, Ph.D.; Christy Visher, Ph.D.; Michael Copenhaver, Ph.D.; Daniel O'Connell, Ph.D.; William Burdon, Ph.D.; Jennifer Pankow, Ph.D.; Jennifer Clarke, M.D.; Carrie Oser, Ph.D.
• Date Published: October 2013
• Length: 18 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article discusses a multisite survey of HIV prevalence, policies, and practices among correctional agencies.

Abstract

HIV risk is disproportionately high among incarcerated individuals. Corrections agencies have been slow to implement evidence-based guidelines and interventions for HIV prevention, testing, and treatment. The emerging field of implementation science focuses on organizational interventions to facilitate adoption and implementation of evidence-based practices. A survey of correctional agency partners from the Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies (CJ-DATS) revealed that HIV policies and practices in prevention, detection, and medical care varied widely, with some corrections agencies and facilities closely matching national guidelines and/or implementing evidence-based interventions. Others, principally attributed to limited resources, had numerous gaps in delivery of best HIV service practices. A brief overview is provided of a new CJ-DATS cooperative research protocol, informed by the survey findings, to test an organization-level intervention to reduce HIV service delivery gaps in corrections. Abstract published by arrangement with Sage Journals.