Interventions to increase vaccine uptake among people who live and work in prisons: A global multistage scoping review.

The objective of this study is to examine interventions implemented to increase vaccine uptake among people who live and work in prisons around the world. Peer-reviewed and gray literature databases were searched systematically to identify relevant information published from 2012 to 2022. Publications were evaluated by two researchers independently and underwent quality assessment through established tools. Of the 11,281 publications identified through peer-reviewed (2607) and gray literature (8674) search, 17 met the inclusion criteria. In light of limited data, the identified interventions were categorized into two categories of educational and organizational interventions, and are discussed in the text. The lack of availability of vaccination services and interventions to increase vaccine uptake among people who live and work in prisons, worldwide, is a serious public health concern. These interventions reported in this review can be adapted and adopted to mitigate the burden of infectious diseases among people who live and work in prisons.

Rolling back the prison estate: the pervasive impact of macroeconomic austerity on prisoner health in England.

Prisons offer policymakers an opportunity to address the pre-existing high prevalence of physical and mental health issues among prisoners. This notion has been widely integrated into international and national prison health policies, including the Healthy Prisons Agenda, which calls for governments to address the health needs of prisoners and safeguard their health entitlement during imprisonment, and the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 concerning reducing inequality among disadvantaged populations. However, the implementation of the austerity policy in the United Kingdom since the re-emergence of the global financial crisis in 2008 has impeded this aspiration. This interdisciplinary paper critically evaluates the impact of austerity on prison health. The aforementioned policy has obstructed prisoners' access to healthcare, exacerbated the degradation of their living conditions, impeded their purposeful activities and subjected them to an increasing level of violence. This paper calls for alternatives to imprisonment, initiating a more informed economic recovery policy, and relying on transnational and national organizations to scrutinize prisoners' entitlement to health. These systemic solutions could act as a springboard for political and policy discussions at national and international forums with regard to improving prisoners' health and simultaneously meeting the aspirations of the Healthy Prisons Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Contextualising the pervasive impact of macroeconomic austerity on prison health in England: a qualitative study among international policymakers.

BACKGROUND: Prisons offer the state the opportunity to gain access to a population that is at particularly high risk of ill-health. Despite the supportive legal and policy structures surrounding prison rehabilitation, the oppressive nature of the austerity policy in England threatens its advanced improvement. METHODS: Using grounded theory methodology, this is the first interdisciplinary qualitative study to explore the impact of macroeconomic austerity on prison health in England from the perspective of 29 international prison policymakers. RESULTS: The far-reaching impact of austerity in England has established a regressive political system that shapes the societal attitude towards social issues, which has exacerbated the existing poor health of the prisoners. Austerity has undermined the notion of social collectivism, imposed a culture of acceptance among prison bureaucrats and the wider community, and normalised the devastating impacts of prison instability. These developments are evidenced by the increasing levels of suicide, violence, radicalisation and prison gangs among prisoners, as well as the imposition of long working hours and the high levels of absenteeism among prison staff. CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores an important and yet unarticulated phenomenon that despite being the fifth largest economy in the world, England's poorest, marginalised and excluded population continues to bear the brunt of austerity. Reducing the prison population, using international obligations as minimum standards to protect prisoners' right to health and providing greater resources would create a more positive and inclusive system, in line with England's international and domestic commitments to the humane treatment of all people.

How do policymakers interpret and implement the principle of equivalence with regard to prison health? A qualitative study among key policymakers in England.

BACKGROUND: The principle of equivalence in prison health has been established for nearly four decades. It seeks to ensure that prisoners have access to the same level of healthcare as members of society at large, which is entrenched within the international legal framework and England's national health policies. AIMS: This study examined how key policymakers interpret and implement the principle of equivalence in English prisons. It also identified opportunities and threats associated with the application of the principle. METHODS: In total, 30 policymakers took part in this research. These participants engaged in policymaking activities and occupied positions of authority in the prison field. RESULTS: Despite the policymakers' consensus on the importance of the equivalence principle, there was a varying degree of understanding regarding what constitutes 'equivalence'. Participants described how the security culture impedes prisoners' access to healthcare services. Additionally, the increasing size and complexity of the prison population, coupled with a diminishing level of resources, reduce the level of care being provided in prisons and thus compromise implementation of equivalence in English prisons. CONCLUSIONS: Inconsistent interpretation of equivalence, the prevailing security drive, increasing numbers and health complexities of prisoners and fiscal austerity threaten the implementation of equivalence in English prisons. This research calls for new guidance on how to interpret and implement equivalence, along with measures to educate prison governors and staff on the prison rehabilitation value, ensure greater investment in prison health and consider alternatives to imprisonment to future-proof the principle of equivalence in the English prison system.

Vaccination against emerging and reemerging infectious diseases in places of detention: a global multistage scoping review.

Background: Despite the elevated risks of infection transmission, people in prisons frequently encounter significant barriers in accessing essential healthcare services in many countries. The present scoping review aimed to evaluate the state of availability and model of delivery of vaccination services within correctional facilities across the globe. Methods: Following the methodological framework for scoping reviews and adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews criteria, we conducted a systematic search across four peer-reviewed literature databases (Medline via PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Science Direct, and EBSCO), as well as 14 sources of grey literature. Two researchers meticulously examined the identified papers independently to extract pertinent data published between 2012 and 2022. The quality of the selected publications was assessed using established quality assessment tools. Results: Of the 11,281 identified papers 52 met the inclusion criteria. With the exception of one, all the included publications presented data from high-income countries, predominantly originating from the United States. Across the world, the most prevalent vaccines available in prison settings were COVID-19 and HBV vaccines, typically distributed in response to health crises such as pandemics, epidemics, and local outbreaks. Vaccine coverage and uptake rates within correctional facilities displayed noteworthy disparities among various countries and regions. Besides, individual and organizational barriers and facilitating factors of vaccination in prison settings emerged and discussed in the text. Discussion: The lack of vaccination services combined with low rates of vaccination coverage and uptake among people living and working in correctional facilities represents a cause for concern. Prisons are not isolated from the broader community, therefore, efforts to increase vaccine uptake among people who live and work in prisons will yield broader public health benefits.

COVID-19 vaccine for people who live and work in prisons worldwide: A scoping review.

Overcrowding, poor conditions, and high population turnover make prisons highly susceptible to COVID-19. Vaccination is key to controlling COVID-19, yet there is disagreement regarding whether people who live and work in prisons should be prioritised in national vaccination programmes. To help resolve this, we critically examine the extent, nature, and quality of extant literature regarding prioritisation of COVID-19 vaccinations for people who live and work in prisons. Using a scoping review as our methodological framework, we conducted a systematic literature search of 17 databases. From 2,307 potentially eligible articles, we removed duplicates and screened titles and abstracts to retain 45 articles for review and quality appraisal. Findings indicated that while most countries recognise that prisons are at risk of high levels of COVID-19 transmission, only a minority have explicitly prioritised people who live and work in prisons for COVID-19 vaccination. Even among those that have, prioritisation criteria vary considerably. This is set against a backdrop of political barriers, such as politicians questioning the moral deservingness of people in prison; policy barriers, such as the absence of a unified international framework of how vaccine prioritisation should proceed in prisons; logistical barriers regarding vaccine administration in prisons; and behavioural barriers including vaccine hesitancy. We outline five strategies to prioritise people who live and work in prisons in COVID-19 vaccination plans: (1) improving data collection on COVID-19 vaccination, (2) reducing the number of people imprisoned, (3) tackling vaccine populism through advocacy, (4) challenging arbitrary prioritisation processes via legal processes, and (5) conducting more empirical research on COVID-19 vaccination planning, delivery, and acceptability. Implementing these strategies would help to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on the prison population, prevent community transmission, improve vaccine uptake in prisons beyond the current pandemic, foster political accountability, and inform future decision-making.

Leaving no one behind in prison: improving the health of people in prison as a key contributor to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

Worldwide, approximately 11 million people are currently being held in prison, a number that has steadily grown since the turn of the 21st century. The prison population is more likely to suffer from physical and mental ailments both during and prior to their imprisonment due to poverty, social exclusion and chaotic lifestyles. Recognition of people in prison is noticeably absent from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), despite the goals' ethos of 'leaving no one behind'.We present the first analysis of how improving the health of people in prison can contribute to achieving 15 SDGs. Relevant indicators are proposed to fulfil these goals while meeting the existing international prison health standards. We also assess the political, economic and social challenges, alongside the unparalleled COVID-19 pandemic that can thwart the realisation of the SDGs. To reach the 'furthest behind first', prison health must be at the forefront of the SDGs.

Deterioration, drift, distraction, and denial: How the politics of austerity challenges the resilience of prison health governance and delivery in England.

Extant scholarship has demonstrated that macroeconomic austerity disproportionately harms marginalised end-users. Its impact on the governance and delivery of health provisions on such individuals, however, has received less attention. Drawing on interviews with 27 policy elites involved with England's prison health policy, interviewees perceive that austerity policies have shaped and constrained the prison health system through the politics of deterioration, drift, distraction, and denial. The deterioration of the prison workforce size has been linked to diminished prisoner access to healthcare, attendant with an increased number of riots, assaults, acts of self-harm, and suicides. Concurrently, the microeconomic structure of organised crime is filling the void in prison governance, thus conducing to heightened abuse of psychoactive substances, as well as a surge in associated medical emergencies and violence. Successful prosecution of prior sexual offences, continued incarceration of those imprisoned for indeterminate sentences, and harsh sentencing practices have created policy drift, unremitting overcrowding, and reinforced excessive dependency on prison healthcare resources. The rapid turnover of justice ministers and intensified push for prison privatisation have enabled widespread distraction. Moreover, despite well-documented crises besetting English prisons, politicians seemingly remain in a state of denial. Preventive imprisonment, recurrent spending, and enhanced financial and political accountability measures are necessary to mitigate the effects of austerity and germane policies fomenting inimical impacts on England's prison health system.

Using laws to further public health causes: the Healthy Prisons Agenda.

In this commentary, we propose using laws in implementing the Healthy Prisons Agenda. We evaluate the efficacy of laws in tackling health inequalities in prisons, provide recommendations on how states can uphold their international commitments that safeguard prisoners' right to healthcare, and frame prisons as health-promoting settings. We also assess the challenges that can thwart this proposal, such as the non-binding nature of international obligations, global prison overcrowding and the dependency on prison governors and staff for implementation of the Agenda. The commentary concludes by recommending further evaluation of our proposal and testing its potential generalisability to other health-promotion agendas.

Advanced analyses of computed tomography coronary angiography can help discriminate ischemic lesions.

BACKGROUND: Computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) image analysis enables plaque characterization and non-invasive fractional flow reserve (FFR) calculation. We analyzed various parameters derived from CTCA images and evaluated their associations with ischemia. METHODS: 49 (61 lesions) patients underwent CTCA and invasive FFR. Lesions with diameter stenosis (DS) ≥ 50% were considered obstructive. CTCA image processing incorporating analytical and numerical methods were used to quantify anatomical parameters of lesion length (LL) and minimum lumen area (MLA); plaque characteristic parameters of plaque volume, low attenuation plaque (LAP) volume, dense calcium volume (DCV), normalized plaque volume (NP Vol), plaque burden, eccentricity index and napkin-ring (NR) sign; and hemodynamic parameters of resistance index, stenosis flow reserve (SFR) and FFRB. Ischemia was defined as FFR ≤ 0.8. RESULTS: Plaque burden and plaque volume were inversely related to FFR. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified the best anatomical, plaque and hemodynamic predictors, respectively, as DS (≥50% vs <50%; OR: 8.0; 95% CI: 1.6-39.4), normalized plaque volume (NP Vol) (≥4.3 vs <4.3; OR: 3.9; 95% CI: 1.1-14.0) and NR Sign (0 vs 1; OR: 13.6; 95% CI: 1.3-146.1), and FFRB (≤0.8 vs >0.8; OR: 44.4; 95% CI: 8.8-224.8). AUC increased from 0.70 with DS as the sole predictor to 0.81 after adding NP Vol and NR Sign; further addition of FFRB increased AUC to 0.93. CONCLUSION: Normalized plaque volume, napkin-ring derived from plaque analysis, and FFRB from numerical simulations on CTCA images substantially improved discrimination of ischemic lesions, compared to assessment by DS alone.