The incidence and significance of low visual acuity in a prison population

should also be corrected, together with appropriate orthoptic and surgical treatment. Potentially 1-5% of the population may develop a squint, especially in the presence of the previously mentioned risk factors. Eyecare practitioners are, of course, mindful of the needs for the early detection and correction of refractive and other ocular anomalies in children; ideally by a free or subsidised eye examination. However, the current system of pre and school medicals is at the best cursory, and is likely to mainly only detect the more gross defects, such as higher degrees of hypermetropia and astigmatism in addition to myopia. It follows that lower amounts of hypermetropia and astigmatism, which are both potential risk factors in the development of squint and amblyopia, are more likely to be undetected in childhood. It is suggested that preventative eyecare is T he aim of this research project was to confirm or otherwise the anecdotal experience of one of the authors (BRA), that ex-convicts appeared to manifest a disproportional amount of low visual acuity. Brian R. Ariel MSc, FCOptom, FAAO and Donald F.C. Loran MSc, FCOptom, AMCT, DCLP