Applying Best Practices from CAPs to a Community-Academic-Corrections Partnership: Academic Partner Perspectives.

BACKGROUND: While correctional systems often function separately from academic and community-based organizations, there is opportunity for mutually beneficial collaborative partnerships to strengthen services and relationships. Community-academic partnerships (CAPs) are a well-established model in implementation science and in scientific literature. Applying best practices for CAPs to a partnership that includes community, academic, and correctional partners could contribute to a stronger partnership with more capacity to improve population health of people who experience incarceration. OBJECTIVES: To describe our work to identify CAP best practices, and to discuss considerations and approaches for applying these best practices in an emerging community- academic-corrections partnership. METHODS: From the scientific literature, we identified best practices for CAPs across nine domains: bringing the community into the project; building new relationships while addressing the past; establishing mutually beneficial vision, goals, and purpose; roles and expectations of partners; communication; administration; leadership; project implementation and evaluation; and building community capacity and awareness. In this paper we describe considerations from the perspective of the academic partner regarding these nine best practice domains in the development of a community-academic-corrections partnership. CONCLUSIONS: While established CAP best practices have relevance, there are specific considerations for partnerships with correctional authorities that require attention. Informed by best practices, planning and preparation for partnership can help mitigate challenges, support effectiveness, and strengthen relationships.

A Process Model of Formative Work to Strengthen a Prison Health Surveillance System.

Worldwide, there is a lack of systematically collected health data on people who are incarcerated. Our objective in this paper was to describe a process model of formative work for a project to strengthen health surveillance for people incarcerated under a Canadian prison authority. We have developed project structures and processes, and we are evaluating project partnerships. To inform prison health surveillance foci, we are conducting a review of literature on best practices, a qualitative study to understand stakeholders' needs and priorities, and mapping work to understand available prison health-related data. Developing and implementing prison health surveillance is gradual and developmental, necessitating time to build relationships and obtain approvals. The needs and interests of knowledge users should be prioritized, but there may be challenges to achieving a coherent vision due to feasibility and differing needs and objectives of various stakeholders. Developing collaborative relationships could help bridge this gap.

"Just clearly the right thing to do": perspectives of correctional services leaders on moving governance of health-care in custody.

PURPOSE: Governance models are a defining characteristic of health-care systems, yet little research is available about the governance of health-care delivered in correctional facilities. This study aims to explore the perspectives of correctional services leaders in British Columbia, Canada, on the motivations for transferring responsibility for health-care services in provincial correctional facilities to the Ministry of Health, as well as key lessons learned. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Eight correctional services leaders participated in one-on-one interviews between September 2019 and February 2020. The authors used inductive thematic analysis to explore key themes. To triangulate early effects of the transfer identified by participants the authors used complaints data from Prisoners' Legal Services to examine changes over time. FINDINGS: The authors identified four major themes related to the rationale for this transfer: 1) quality and equivalence of care, 2) integration and throughcare, 3) values and expertise and 4) funding and resources. Facilitators included changes in the external environment, having the right people in the right places, a strong sense of alignment and shared goals and a changing culture in corrections. Participants also highlighted challenges, including ongoing human resourcing issues, having to navigate and define shared responsibilities and adapting a large bureaucracy to the environment in corrections. Consistent with outcomes described by participants, data showed that a lower proportion of complaints received after the transfer were related to health-care. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The perspectives of correctional leaders on the transfer of governance for health-care services in custody to the community health-care system provide novel insights into the processes and potential of this change.

What works to promote staff health in prison settings: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: Given epidemiological data highlighting poor health outcomes for prison staff and correctional workers, this systematic review aims to understand what health promotion interventions, delivered in prison settings, are effective for prison staff health. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: A systematic review was undertaken, with search parameters encompassing papers published over a ten-year period (2013-2023). Health promotion programmes; well-being programmes; and occupational health interventions to support prison staff health as part of a targeted approach or as part of a whole-prison approach were included in the review. FINDINGS: The review identified 354 studies, of which 157 were duplicates and 187 did not meet the inclusion criteria. This left ten studies in the review from five countries. Reducing the impact of tobacco smoke was the commonly cited intervention, with four studies focusing on smoke-free prison legislation, but other studies focused on stress reduction for staff and supporting holistic health. The papers were of poor methodological quality, with the exception of three included studies that had robust designs. Most studies showed limited or no impact of interventions to support prison staff health, the exception being policy interventions to reduce second-hand smoke exposure. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Prison staff have poor health outcomes and yet limited attention has been paid to interventions to support their health. This review suggests a number of considerations for future policy and practice and direction for further research to improve prison staff health.

Partnering to Address Health Inequities among Incarcerated Populations: Prisons, Jails, and COVID-19 Vaccination.

BACKGROUND: Incarcerated people have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and face significant challenges to COVID-19 vaccine confidence. OBJECTIVES: (1) Describe our partnerships with community members directly impacted by incarceration, (2) discuss the partnership's process for co-developing and implementing project interventions to increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence, and (3) share lessons learned from this unique community-engaged partnership. METHODS: An advisory board of 14 formerly incarcerated community members participated in this project. Their wisdom and experience led to the development and implementation of interventions to increase confidence in COVID-19 vaccines among incarcerated people. LESSONS LEARNED: Valuable lessons learned were centering community, leaning into trusted sources of information, acknowledging historical and present harms, and investing in community-engaged work. CONCLUSIONS: Centering lived experiences of those directly impacted by incarceration has been crucial to increasing vaccine confidence among this population. Doing so reinforced the importance of long-term investments in community-based collaborations with communities impacted by incarceration.

A model of care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoner health and wellbeing in South Australia.

PURPOSE: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Aboriginal) people are overrepresented in Australian prisons, where they experience complex health needs. A model of care was designed to respond to the broad needs of the Aboriginal prisoner population within the nine adult prisons across South Australia. The purpose of this paper is to describe the methods and findings of the Model of Care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Prisoner Health and Wellbeing for South Australia. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The project used a qualitative mixed-method approach, including a rapid review of relevant literature, stakeholder consultations and key stakeholder workshop. The project was overseen by a Stakeholder Reference Group, which met monthly to ensure that the specific needs of project partners, stakeholders and Aboriginal communities were appropriately incorporated into the planning and management of the project and to facilitate access to relevant information and key informants. FINDINGS: The model of care for Aboriginal prisoner health and wellbeing is designed to be holistic, person-centred and underpinned by the provision of culturally appropriate care. It recognises that Aboriginal prisoners are members of communities both inside and outside of prison. It notes the unique needs of remanded and sentenced prisoners and differing needs by gender. SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Supporting the health and wellbeing of Indigenous prison populations can improve health outcomes, community health and reduce recidivism. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Only one other model of care for Aboriginal prisoner health exists in Australia, an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation-initiated in-reach model of care in one prison in one jurisdiction. The South Australian model of care presents principles that are applicable across all jurisdictions and provides a framework that could be adapted to support Indigenous peoples in diverse prison settings.

Mental Health, Drug Use, and Programming: Applying a Needs Assessment Framework in Arkansas' Largest Jail.

Jail programming is rarely informed by site-specific health needs, diagnostic-specific screening tools that are validated, or the input of incarcerated individuals. Using the community needs assessment (CNA) framework, we aimed to fill these gaps among people incarcerated in the Pulaski County Regional Detention Facility (PCRDF), Arkansas' largest jail. Participants were 179 adults at the PCRDF who completed surveys and open-ended questions focused on (a) their mental and behavioral health and (b) programming needs at the facility. Using a concurrent transformative mixed-methods design, we descriptively analyzed surveys and conducted content analysis of the open-ended questions. Over half of participants reported clinically significant anxiety (62.6%), post-traumatic stress disorder (53.1%), and/or depression (50.3%) symptoms; positive substance use disorder screening was especially common (91.7%). Nearly all (97%) individuals queried desired more programming, with the most desired being mental health and substance use programs. Other desired programs included physical health, education, community reintegration, family support, recreation, nutrition, religious/spiritual services, and meditation. Our CNA ensured the input of those directly impacted during program-focused decision making and identified strategies to effectively implement and sustain jail-based programs. Such assessments can be a potential mechanism for addressing the burden of mental and behavioral health problems in jail populations.

Correlates of Staff Acceptability of a Novel Telemedicine-Delivered Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Program in a Rural Detention Center.

Opioid overdose death is significantly increased immediately following incarceration. Evidence-based medications are underutilized in rural jails and detention centers. We have reported our efforts to address this gap through telemedicine-based medications for opioid use disorder treatment (tele-MOUD) for incarcerated patients. Staff acceptance and perceptions are critically important factors in the assurance of program validation. We assessed tele-MOUD acceptability and perceptions of effectiveness and stigma in one detention center. Overall, we found that jail staff's general acceptability of the program was rather low, as was perceived effectiveness of MOUD, while stigmatizing beliefs were present. Furthermore, tele-MOUD acceptability was positively correlated with perceptions of MOUD effectiveness and negatively correlated with stigmatizing notions of MOUD (p's < 0.001). Findings suggest the need for educational interventions. Future research investigating the potential moderating effects of training on staff acceptability of jail-based tele-MOUD will support the implementation and sustainability of these life-saving programs.

Addressing COVID-19 and Health Literacy Disparities Among Correctional Facility Residents Through Dialogue-Based Education.

Carceral communities face heightened COVID-19-related risks while simultaneously experiencing medical mistrust and limited access to health information and services. Health education programs that incorporate dialogue-based, participatory learning models have been shown to motivate health behavior and increase health knowledge in carceral settings. To increase health literacy and change COVID-19-related health behavior among jail residents in the United States, a local health department developed a dialogue-based education program centered around COVID-19 prevention, misinformation, and navigating health care systems. Dialogue-based health information sessions took place in person in a county jail. Pre- and postsurveys gauged the sessions' influence on self-reported health literacy and behavior intention. Overall, 595 residents collectively attended 43 facilitated discussions. Key findings indicate that dialogue-based education can temper medical mistrust, influencing COVID-19 preventive behaviors and increasing health literacy in a carceral setting.

Programa de vacunación en prisiones: impacto del virus SARS-CoV-2 y retos de futuro / Prison vaccination programmes: the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and future challenges

La vacunación ha sido tradicionalmente una de las actividades de prevención primaria a la que mayor esfuerzo se ha dedicado en las instituciones penitenciarias españolas. Una vez más, la pandemia de coronavirus de tipo 2 causante del síndrome respiratorio agudo severo (SARS-CoV-2) ha puesto de manifiesto la importancia de la vacunación en el control de las enfermedades inmunoprevenibles. Tras superar la emergencia sanitaria provocada por la enfermedad del coronavirus de 2019 (COVID-19), tenemos por delante el reto de recuperar las coberturas vacunales que teníamos antes de la pandemia, además de aumentar las de otras vacunas con menor implantación en nuestro medio. Entre las estrategias de mejora que se deben implementar, estaría la optimización de la transmisión de la información sanitaria entre centros penitenciarios dependientes de diferentes administraciones. También sería deseable poder acceder a los sistemas de información sobre vacunas de las diferentes comunidades autónomas, tanto para conocer el estado vacunal de los pacientes como para notificar las dosis administradas durante el periodo de internamiento, así como mejorar las estadísticas vacunales disponibles en prisión.(AU)

Vaccination has traditionally been one of the primary prevention activities to which most effort has been devoted in Spanish penitentiary institutions. Once again, the type 2 coronavirus pandemic causing severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has highlighted the importance of vaccination in the control of immunopreventable diseases.After overcoming the health emergency caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), we face the challenge of recovering the vaccination coverage we had before the pandemic, in addition to increasing the coverage of other vaccines with lesser implantation in our environment. Among the improvement strategies to be implemented would be the optimization of the transmission of health information between penitentiary centers dependent on different administrations. It would also be desirable to be able to access the vaccine information systems of the different autonomous communities, both to know the vaccination status of patients and to report the doses administered during the period of internment, as well as to improve the vaccine statistics available in prison.(AU)

Using Linkage-enhancement Strategies to Bridge Treatment Gap among Inmates and Former Inmates in Correctional Settings with Inadequate Mental Health Care.

Service linkage and skill enhancement strategies were devised in Nigerian prisons with inadequate mental health resources to support the provision of psycho-legal services, including the assessments, identification, and care of inmates and former inmates with mental illness. Over the study period, 74 individuals, consisting of 64 (86.5%) males with a mean age of 33.25 (SD=11.2) years received care or psycho-legal services through these strategies. Clinically, 49% of the participants were diagnosed with schizophrenia (International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) diagnosis code: F20.0-9), 66.7% had first formal clinical diagnosis of mental illness, and as many as 56.1% of the participants endorsed using psychoactive substances. Most participants (73.0%) were assessed and treated within the prison's general medical services with support from a multidisciplinary team from a regional psychiatric hospital. Of the 50 psycho-legal assessments conducted, eight (10.8%) and 12 (16.2%) participants were not criminally responsible and unfit to stand trial, respectively. We included an action-plan to support the implementation of collaborative care, skill-enhancement, and linkage of services as viable strategies in correctional settings with inadequate mental health care.

Mitigating COVID-19 Burden in People Experiencing Incarceration: A Systematic Review.

People experiencing incarceration (PEI) have poorer COVID-19 clinical outcomes compared with the general population. Many interventions were implemented in incarceration facilities to mitigate the burden of COVID-19. This systematic review seeks to analyze the effectiveness of these interventions. Twenty-two studies were included. Reduction of the incarcerated population/interfacility transfers, cohorting of new and infectious incarcerated people, mass asymptomatic testing (despite often low uptake), hygiene measures, and prioritization of PEI in vaccine policy had some evidence of effectiveness at reducing transmission and risk of COVID-19 in incarceration facilities. Visitation suspension had conflicting evidence of effectiveness. Studies were of low or medium quality. Inadequate control of confounding variables limited the reliability and validity of conclusions drawn. Many studies relied on retrospective, third-party data. Higher quality research is required.

Supporting Older, Frail, and Vulnerable Adult Prisoners Through Peer Care: Observations, Reflections, and Recommendations Based on a UK/U.S. Researcher Exchange Visit.

This article describes key findings from a UK/U.S. prison health researcher exchange in September 2023. The aims were to increase familiarity with the research context and to observe the roles of peer caregivers in U.S. prison settings. The researchers identified several differences and similarities in peer caregiving between UK and U.S. sites and detail six recommendations related to policy and practice concerning both sides of the Atlantic. It is believed that the adoption of such recommendations will contribute to improved care and, thereby, the health and well-being of vulnerable people incarcerated in prison.

Barriers and advocacy needs for hepatitis C services in prisons: Informing the prisons hepatitis C advocacy toolkit.

BACKGROUND: Carceral settings are a key focus of the 2030 WHO global hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination goals. Despite this, access to HCV testing and treatment services in prisons remains low globally, limiting opportunities to achieve these goals. Advocacy efforts are needed to address service inequities and mobilise support for enhanced HCV programs in prisons globally. INHSU Prisons, a special interest group of the International Network on Health and Hepatitis in Substance Users (INHSU) is developing a Prisons HCV Advocacy Toolkit to address this need. Here we present findings of a mixed study to inform the development of the Toolkit. METHODS: The aim of this study was to inform the development of the Toolkit, including understanding barriers for scaling up prison-based HCV services globally and advocacy needs to address these. An online survey (n = 181) and in-depth interviews (n = 25) were conducted with key stakeholders from countries of different economic status globally. Quantitative data were statistically analysed using R Studio and qualitative data were analysed thematically. The data sets were merged using a convergent design. RESULTS: Key barriers for enhanced prison-based HCV services included lack of political will and action, lack of prison-based healthcare resources, and poor awareness about HCV and the importance of prison-based HCV services. These findings underscore how advocacy efforts are needed to motivate policymakers to prioritise HCV healthcare in prisons and ensure funds are available for services (including diagnostic tools and treatment, healthcare teams to implement services, and systems to measure their success). Advocacy resources to raise the awareness of policy makers, people working in the prison sector, and incarcerated populations were also identified as key to increasing HCV service uptake. CONCLUSION: The Toolkit has the potential to support advocacy efforts for reaching HCV elimination targets. By understanding the advocacy needs of potential Toolkit end-users, the findings can inform its development and increase its accessibility, acceptability, and uptake for a globally diverse audience.

A Survey of State Correctional Health Care Providers on Advance Care Planning: Opportunity for Collaboration With Corrections.

Prison populations are rapidly aging. Persons in prison age quicker and suffer more chronic illness and disability than their nonincarcerated peers, posing challenges to caring for prisoners who are chronically ill and dying. The goal of our study was to describe state prisons' practices and policies addressing persons in prison with advanced chronic and life limiting illness through a national web-based survey of state-level prison health care professionals. In particular, we focused on advanced care planning, use of health care directives, decision-making about goals of care, including life sustaining treatments, The response rate was 22% for a sample size 152 completed surveys. The average age of respondent was 52 years; majority were female and Caucasian, and had worked in corrections more than 8 years. Nearly half were registered nurses. Most reported their prison did not have a dedicated end-of-life care program and only 11% offered a peer-care program. However, two-thirds indicated their facility provided the opportunity to designate a health care agent with physicians most likely responsible for facilitating completion of a health care directive. It is evident the care of persons aging and dying in prison is complex and requires further investigation addressing staff and prison population education, ethics guidelines for care, compassionate release, and advance care planning. This study suggests that hospice and palliative care professionals could collaborate with corrections professionals and national organizations to provide innovative education and support to enhance the humane care of this vulnerable population.

Enfermeiros no atendimento de urgência em presídios: explorando razões do chamado e local da assistência / Enfermeras en atención de urgencia en cárceles: explorando razones de la llamada y local de la asistencia / Nurses in urgent care in prisons: exploring reasons for the call and place of assistance

RESUMO Objetivo: analisar as percepções dos enfermeiros do Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência (SAMU) em atendimentos realizados em penitenciárias perante as razões das demandas e o local da assistência. Método: trata-se de um estudo exploratório e descritivo de abordagem qualitativa. Realizaram-se entrevistas nos meses de agosto a dezembro de 2017, individuais e audiogravadas, seguindo roteiro semiestruturado com 91 enfermeiros que atuavam no SAMU de cidades do estado da Paraíba, Brasil. Aplicou-se o referencial metodológico da Análise de Conteúdo proposta por Bardin para categorização dos dados obtidos. Resultados: das análises das falas dos participantes emergiu a presença de dificuldades como demandas não pertinentes ao serviço, local inadequado para assistência, falta de privacidade durante os atendimentos e de escolta para transporte quando necessário. Considerações finais: os problemas relatados evidenciam a necessidade do estabelecimento de estratégias para melhorar as condições da assistência potencializando a capacidade de resolutividade do serviço e para problemas que não podem ser resolvidos em uma única visita de profissionais do SAMU no ambiente prisional, que seja garantido a continuidade da assistência em outros serviços articulados a ele e para isso são necessários fortes laços intersetoriais.

RESUMEN Objetivo: analizar las percepciones de los enfermeros del Servicio de Atención Móvil de Urgencia (SAMU) en atenciones realizadas en prisiones ante las razones de las demandas y el lugar de la asistencia. Método: se trata de un estudio exploratorio y descriptivo de enfoque cualitativo. Se realizaron entrevistas en los meses de agosto a diciembre de 2017, individuales y audiograbadas, siguiendo guion semiestructurado con 91 enfermeros que actuaban en el SAMU de ciudades del estado de Paraíba, Brasil. Se aplicó el referencial metodológico del Análisis de Contenido propuesto por Bardin para categorización de los datos obtenidos. Resultados: de los análisis de los relatos de los participantes surgió la presencia de dificultades como demandas no pertinentes al servicio, local inadecuado para asistencia, falta de privacidad durante las atenciones y de escolta para transporte cuando necesario. Consideraciones finales: los problemas relatados evidencian la necesidad de que se establezcan estrategias para mejorar las condiciones de la asistencia, perfeccionando la capacidad de resolución del servicio y para problemas que no pueden ser resueltos en una sola visita de profesionales del SAMU en el ambiente carcelario, que se garantice la continuidad de la asistencia en otros servicios articulados a él y para ello son necesarios fuertes lazos intersectoriales.

ABSTRACT Objective: to analyze the perceptions of nurses from the Mobile Emergency Care Service (SAMU) in care provided in penitentiaries regarding the reasons for the calls and the place where care is provided. Method: this is an exploratory and descriptive study with a qualitative approach. Individual and audio-recorded interviews were carried out from August to December 2017 following a semi-structured script with 91 nurses who worked in the SAMU in cities in the state of Paraíba, Brazil. The methodological framework of Content Analysis proposed by Bardin was applied to categorize the data obtained. Results: the presence of difficulties emerged from the analysis of the speeches of the participants. They included calls for reasons not relevant to the service, inadequate place for assistance, lack of privacy during consultations, and lack of escort for transport when necessary. Final considerations: the reported problems highlight the need to establish strategies to improve the conditions of care provision so as to enhance the service's ability to solve problems that cannot be solved in a single visit by SAMU professionals in the prison environment, which guarantees the continuity of assistance in other services articulated to it, making strong intersectoral links necessary.

Evaluation of a national smoke-free prisons policy using medication dispensing: an interrupted time-series analysis.

BACKGROUND: Internationally, smoking prevalence among people in prison custody (ie, people on remand awaiting trial, awaiting sentencing, or serving a custodial sentence) is high. In Scotland, all prisons implemented a comprehensive smoke-free policy in 2018 after a 16-month anticipatory period. In this study, we aimed to use data on medication dispensing to assess the impact of this policy on cessation support, health outcomes, and potential unintended consequences among people in prison custody. METHODS: We did an interrupted time-series analysis using dispensing data for 44 660 individuals incarcerated in 14 closed prisons in Scotland between March 30, 2014, and Nov 30, 2019. We estimated changes in dispensing rates associated with the policy announcement (July 17, 2017) and full implementation (Nov 30, 2018) using seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average models. Medication categories of primary interest were treatments for nicotine dependence (as an indicator of smoking cessation or abstinence attempts), acute smoking-associated illnesses, and mental health (antidepressants). We included antiepileptic medications as a negative control. FINDINGS: A 44% step increase in dispensing of treatments for nicotine dependence was observed at implementation (2250 items per 1000 people in custody per fortnight, 95% CI 1875 to 2624) due primarily to a 42% increase in dispensing of nicotine replacement therapy (2109 items per 1000 people in custody per fortnight, 1701 to 2516). A 9% step decrease in dispensing for smoking-related illnesses was observed at implementation, largely accounted for by respiratory medications (-646 items per 1000 people in custody per fortnight, -1111 to -181). No changes associated with announcement or implementation were observed for mental health dispensing or antiepileptic medications (control). INTERPRETATION: Smoke-free prison policies might improve respiratory health among people in custody and encourage smoking abstinence or cessation without apparent short-term adverse effects on mental health dispensing. FUNDING: National Institute of Health Research Public Health Research programme, Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office, and UK Medical Research Council.