Prisons and other closed settings are high-risk environments for HIV and tuberculosis (TB) transmission. Prisoners often experience overcrowded living conditions and violence-including sexual assault-increasing their vulnerability to HIV and TB. However, high infection rates in prisons affect both prisoners and prison employees. Both groups, in interacting with their families and their communit...

BACKGROUND Research exploring the drivers of health outcomes of women who are in prison in low- and middle-income settings is largely absent. This study aimed to identify and examine the interaction between structural, organisational and relational factors influencing Zambian women prisoners' health and healthcare access. METHODS We conducted in-depth interviews of 23 female prisoners across ...

UNLABELLED There have been concerns that individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are over-represented but not recognised in prison populations. A screening tool for ASDs in prisons has therefore been developed. AIMS We aimed to evaluate this tool in Scottish prisoners by comparing scores with standard measures of autistic traits (Autism Quotient (AQ)), neurodevelopmental history (As...

AIMS The aims were to (1) estimate the prevalence of alcohol and drug use disorders in prisoners on reception to prison and (2) estimate and test sources of between study heterogeneity. METHODS Studies reporting the 12-month prevalence of alcohol and drug use disorders in prisoners on reception to prison from 1 January 1966 to 11 August 2015 were identified from seven bibliographic indexes. P...

BACKGROUND High levels of psychiatric morbidity in prisoners have been documented in many countries, but it is not known whether rates of mental illness have been increasing over time or whether the prevalence differs between low-middle-income countries compared with high-income ones. AIMS To systematically review prevalence studies for psychotic illness and major depression in prisoners, pro...

INTRODUCTION Although awareness is an important component in tuberculosis (TB) control, we do not know how much Ethiopian prisoners know about TB. This study assessed the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of prisoners about TB in eight northern Ethiopian prisons. METHODS Data were collected cross-sectionally from 615 prisoners using a standardized questionnaire between March ...

Juvenile delinquency is linked to psychiatric morbidity. w1-w9 We were interested in temporal changes in psychiatric morbidity in offenders. Criminal policy in many Western countries emphasises the need for alternative methods of punishment for adolescent prisoners. In Finland, successful policy to diminish the number of adolescents in prisons has been internationally recognised. We studied the...

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ON THIS TOPIC? Suicide rates among prisoners are higher than in the general population. It has also been shown that specific risk factors, such as violent behaviour in prison, psychiatric diagnosis, substance abuse and previous suicide attempts are associated with self-harm in prison. Fifty per cent of prisoners who die by suicide have a history of self-harm and longitudin...

Introduction: Prison, as the most important place for the transmission of infectious diseases, has particular importance, and prison populations are at high risk for infectious diseases like Hepatitis B & C. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Hepatitis B & C among male inmates in six prisons of different provinces in Iran in 2012. Methods: In...