State of transition to Ministry of Health governance of prison healthcare in the Council of Europe region.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine timebound prison healthcare governance amendments and current structures in Europe two decades after the World Health Organization (WHO) Declaration on Prison Health as part of Public Health adopted in Moscow on 24 October 2003 (Moscow Declaration), which recommended prison health care be closely linked with public health systems to ensure quality prison health care, connected health surveillance, and continuity of care. STUDY DESIGN: We present here a regional evolutionary mapping of the Council of Europe Member State transfer of prison healthcare governance to the auspices of the Ministry of Health. METHODS: The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture database and WHO Regional Office for Europe Health In Prison European Database were scrutinised for Council of Europe (CoE) Member State status regarding the Ministry responsible for prison healthcare governance and if this had changed since the adoption of the Moscow Declaration in 2003. RESULTS: As of October 2023, completed transfer of governance to the Ministry of Health nationally is documented in 13 CoE Member States and in one CoE Member State candidate (Kosovo). Partial transfer is documented in Spain (Catalonia and Basque Autonomous Community) and Switzerland (cantons of Geneva, Valais, Vaud, Neuchatel, and Basel-Stadt). Three CoE Member States operate joint governance of prison health care between Ministries (Malta, Portugal, Türkiye). Transfer is a lengthy process (up to 10 years). CONCLUSIONS: Successful transition requires political commitment, cooperation, needs assessment, resourcing, and evaluation. Monitoring of cost and prison healthcare standards, due process for complaints, and cooperation with independent/Committee against Torture inspections is critical.

Care or Complicity? Medical Personnel in Prisons.

Imprisonment may sometimes be a justified form of punishment. Yet the U.S. carceral system suffers from appalling problems of justice-in who is put into prisons, in how imprisoned people are treated, and in downstream personal and community health impacts. Medical personnel working in prisons and jails take on risky work for highly vulnerable and underserved patients. They are to be lauded for their professional commitments. Yet at the same time, prison care undercuts the ability of medical personnel to uphold their own professional standards and sometimes fails in even basic health protection. Doctors in prisons are stuck between their commitment to vulnerable patients and complicity in a system that requires their participation to uphold its constitutionality. Medical ethics is frayed in prisons, and the problem deserves our attention.

Interventions for the detection, monitoring, and management of chronic non-communicable diseases in the prison population: an international systematic review.

BACKGROUND: High rates of health inequalities and chronic non-communicable diseases exist amongst the prison population. This places people in and/or released from prison at heightened risk of multimorbidity, premature mortality, and reduced quality of life. Ensuring appropriate healthcare for people in prison to improve their health outcomes is an important aspect of social justice. This review examines the global literature on healthcare interventions to detect, monitor and manage chronic non-communicable diseases amongst the prison population and people recently released from prison. METHODS: Systematic searches of EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library were conducted and supplemented by citation searching and review of the grey literature. The literature searches attempted to identify all articles describing any healthcare intervention for adults in prison, or released from prison in the past 1 year, to detect, monitor, or manage any chronic non-communicable illness. 19,061 articles were identified, of which 1058 articles were screened by abstract and 203 articles were reviewed by full text. RESULTS: Sixty-five studies were included in the review, involving 18,311 participants from multiple countries. Most studies were quasi-experimental and/or low to moderate in quality. Numerous healthcare interventions were described in the literature including chronic disease screening, telemedicine, health education, integrated care systems, implementing specialist equipment and staff roles to manage chronic diseases in prisons, and providing enhanced primary care contact and/or support from community health workers for people recently released from prison. These interventions were associated with improvement in various measures of clinical and cost effectiveness, although comparison between different care models was not possible due to high levels of clinical heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS: It is currently unclear which interventions are most effective at monitoring and managing chronic non-communicable diseases in prison. More research is needed to determine the most effective interventions for improving chronic disease management in prisons and how these should be implemented to ensure optimal success. Future research should examine interventions for addressing multimorbidity within prisons, since most studies tested interventions for a singular non-communicable disease.

Dying whilst on probation: a scoping review of mortality amongst those under community justice supervision.

AIM: Data suggest mortality rates of those under community justice services such as probation or parole have been increasing year on year. Little is known about why and how these individuals are dying. This scoping review explores the causes and contributing factors of mortality in those under community justice supervision. METHODS: Studies published between 2011 and 2021 were identified across CINAHL, Embase, Global Health, Ovid Medline and PsycINFO. Articles were included if they presented original data on either mortality rates among those under community justice supervision or risk factors associated with the mortality of those under community justice supervision. RESULTS: Searches identified 101 unique articles of which 13 were included in the review. Articles were representative of five countries. All articles were either retrospective reviews or retrospective cohort studies. The studies fell into the categories of all-cause mortality, self-inflicted deaths or drug-related deaths. CONCLUSION: Mortality rates of those under community justice supervision were found to be consistently higher than mortality rates for the general population regardless of cause of death. Factors identified as affecting mortality included history of drug use, history of self-harm and previous imprisonment including length of time in custody and experience of hospitalisation or solitary confinement while in custody.

Quantifying cardiovascular disease risk and heart age predictions for men in the prison environment.

OBJECTIVES: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and associated risk factors within the prison population often present at a younger age in this cohort. Given CVD is largely preventable, it warrants investigation to fully quantify this risk. This study explored the relative predicted 10-year CVD risk and examined the calculated heart age in a representative sample of male individuals aged 25-84 years within the prison environment. STUDY DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study. METHODS: Data were collected on 299 men who underwent a cardiometabolic risk assessment in HMP Parc, Bridgend. The QRISK2 algorithm was used to calculate 10-year CVD risk, relative risk (to general population) and the predicted heart age of an individual. Between-group differences (prison population vs general community) in cardiovascular risk predictions (10-year CVD risk and heart age) were assessed. RESULTS: We observed that at all age groups, the relative risk of predicted 10-year CVD scores in the prison population was double that of the community risk (2.1 ± 0.6), and this was most apparent in the oldest age group (≥50 years: 17.0% compared to 8.8%; P < 0.001). Overall, the heart age of the sample was 7.5 (6.7-8.2) years higher than their own chronological age, and this difference increased to above 9 years in those aged ≥40 years. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides quantifiable evidence to the elevated CVD risk in prison. Heart age predictions were almost a decade higher in those aged ≥40 years. Lowering the screening age for CVD by around 5 years in the prison population should be considered.

Risk Reduction Policies to Reduce HIV in Prisons: Ethical and Legal Considerations and Needs for Integrated Approaches.

The United States has the fastest growing prison population in the world, and elevated incarceration rates, substance use, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence are fueling each other. Yet without a national guideline mandated for HIV care within the prison system, standards for state and federal prisons vary greatly.

Evaluation of massive education in prison health: a perspective of health care for the person deprived of freedom in Brazil.

Education, with an emphasis on prison health, has acted as a policy inducing changes in work processes, which the Brazilian National Health System (SUS) has used, and which is present in permanent health education, which promotes health care for people deprived of liberty. This article aims to present an analysis of the impacts of the strategy of massive education on prison health in Brazil from the perspective of health professionals and other actors operating in the Brazilian prison system. The data used in the study come from a questionnaire consisting of 37 questions applied nationwide between March and June 2022. Responses were collected from students who completed the course "Health Care for People Deprived of Freedom" of the learning pathway "Prison System", available in the Virtual Learning Environment of the Brazilian Health System (AVASUS). This course was offered nationally, whose adhesion (enrollment) occurred spontaneously, i.e., the course was not a mandatory. The data collected allowed us to analyze the impacts of massive education on prison health. The study also shows that the search for the course is made by several areas of knowledge, with a higher incidence in the health area, but also in other areas, such as humanities, which also work directly with the guarantee of the rights of people deprived of liberty, which are professionals in the areas of social work, psychology, and education. The analysis based on the data suggests that the massive education mediated by technology through the courses of the learning pathway, besides disseminating knowledge-following the action plan of the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)-, are an effective tool to promote resilience in response to prison health and care demands of people deprived of liberty.

ENSURING THE RIGHT TO HEALTH CARE FOR GROUPS VULNERABLE TO HIV IN PENITENTIARY INSTITUTIONS AND PRE-TRIAL DETENTION CENTERS IN UKRAINE.

OBJECTIVE: The aim: To consider the problems of penitentiary health care for groups vulnerable to HIV in penitentiary institutions and pre-trial detention centers in Ukraine, and to determine the state of implementation of the rights of prisoners to health care. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: When writing this article, the authors used a number of scientific and special study methods: regulatory method, dialectical method, statistical method. We also conducted an anonymous survey of 150 released persons from penitentiary institutions and 25 medical workers from 7 penitentiary institutions and correctional colonies in different regions of Ukraine to assess the quality and availability of medical care for convicts vulnerable to HIV infection, tuberculosis, and viral hepatitis. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: The right to health-care of convicted prisoners must be ensured in compliance with the principle of free choice of specialist according to health-care law, health-care standards and clinical protocols (in other words, amount and standards of health-care available for prisoners must be the same as that available for other people). In practice prisoners are thrown out of the national health-care system, and the Ministry of Justice is unable to meet all needs. This can have a disastrous result as the penitentiary system will produce sick people who pose threat for civil society.

The association between drug use and mortality in a norwegian prison cohort: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Elevated mortality rates are found among people who have experienced incarceration, even long after release from prison. The mechanisms related to this excess mortality are complex products of both individual and situational factors. The aim of this study was to describe all-cause and cause-specific mortality among people with a history of imprisonment, and to examine both individual and situational factors associated with mortality. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study we used baseline survey data from the Norwegian Offender Mental Health and Addiction (NorMA) study (N = 733) linked with data from the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry during eight years of follow-up (2013-2021). RESULTS: At end of follow-up, 56 persons (8%) of the cohort were deceased; 55% (n = 31) due to external causes such as overdoses or suicides, and 29% (n = 16) to internal causes such as cancer or lung disease. Having a score > 24 on the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT), indicating likely drug dependence was highly associated with external causes of death (OR 3.31, 95% CI 1.34-8.16), while having a job before baseline imprisonment had a protective effect on all-cause mortality (OR 0.51, ,95% CI 0.28-0.95). CONCLUSIONS: High DUDIT score at baseline were highly associated with external causes of death, even years after the DUDIT screening was done. Screening incarcerated people using validated clinical tools, such as the DUDIT, together with initiation of appropriate treatment, may contribute to reduced mortality in this marginalized population.

Statewide Assessment of the Hepatitis C Virus Care Cascade for Incarcerated Persons in Vermont.

OBJECTIVES: Incarcerated persons in the United States have a high burden of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. This study assessed the impact of a statewide effort in Vermont to treat HCV in this group. METHODS: We performed a retrospective, observational cohort study of all HCV-infected persons who were imprisoned in Vermont during the 19-month study period (December 2018-June 2020). The cascade of care comprised opt-out HCV screening, full access to direct-acting antiviral treatment (without hepatic fibrosis-based treatment restrictions), HCV specialist involvement, and medication-assisted treatment for patients with opioid use disorder. The primary outcome was sustained virologic response at 12 weeks after treatment completion (SVR12). RESULTS: The study included 217 HCV-infected patients; the median age was 35 years (range, 18-73 years), 89% were male, 76% had opioid use disorder, 67% had a psychiatric comorbidity, and 9% had cirrhosis. Of the 217 patients, 98% had a liver fibrosis assessment, 59% started direct-acting antiviral treatment, 55% completed direct-acting antiviral treatment, and 51% achieved documented SVR12. Of the 129 HCV-infected persons who started direct-acting antiviral treatment, 92% completed therapy and 86% achieved documented SVR12. Psychiatric comorbidity was not significantly associated with achieving SVR12 (odds ratio = 0.67; 95% CI, 0.27-1.65; P = .38), nor was receiving medication-assisted treatment for patients with opioid use disorder (odds ratio = 1.45; 95% CI, 0.62-2.56; P = .45). CONCLUSIONS: This study reports the highest SVR12 rate achieved in a state incarcerated population to date. HCV treatment in incarcerated populations is a practical and efficacious strategy that should serve a foundational role in HCV elimination.

Diabetes in the context of incarceration: A scoping review.

Background: The burden of chronic conditions, like diabetes, is disproportionately carried by people facing social disadvantages (e.g., those with experiences of incarceration). A dearth of knowledge remains about this topic. We conducted a scoping review to determine the extent of literature about diabetes management and/or self-management in relation to incarceration. Methods: We used the Arksey and O'Malley five stage process, recommendations by Levac et al., and the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews Checklist. Core search terms for diabetes were combined using the Boolean operator AND with terms relevant to incarceration. We initially searched the following electronic academic databases on January 5, 2021, and then updated these searches on September 7, 2022: APA PsycInfo, CINAHL, Criminal Justice Abstracts, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Scopus, and SocINDEX. There were no restrictions on language, study design, quality, location, time, and sex or gender differences. We searched for research articles, conference proceedings, dissertations and theses, government documents, and organization documents. We then searched for other forms of literature using an electronic database (ProQuest Dissertations and Theses - Global), the internet search engine Google, and various corrections and diabetes websites in August 2021 and then updated these searches in September 2022. We also reviewed the reference lists of the final selected documents to identify additional literature. Findings: The search from the seven databases identified 3076 records. The search from other sources (e.g., websites) identified an additional 1077 records. A total of 40 documents met our final inclusion criteria and were included in this review. The type of research conducted was primarily quantitative in nature. Clinic and education interventions were most commonly investigated. Clinical outcomes were often reported. Most guidelines were targeted at healthcare providers. Much of the literature originated from high-income countries, which may not be fully applicable for different contexts like low-income countries. Many interventions were associated with improved outcomes. Interpretation: Administrators can use our findings to develop appropriate policies for this population. Tailored diabetes education for this population and healthcare providers may improve management practices. Our findings offer key insights for improving diabetes care and outcomes for this underserved population. Addressing the diabetes-specific health needs of these people may improve overall public health. Funding: KD has received the O'Brien Institute for Public Health Postdoctoral Scholarship (University of Calgary), Cumming School of Medicine Postdoctoral Scholarship (University of Calgary), and the Libin Cardiovascular Institute's 2021 Person to Population Seed Grant (University of Calgary).

Assessment of the Health Status of Women in Prison: A Comparison between Drug Users versus Non-users.

This study aims to analyze the history of substances use, clinical diagnoses, contacts with healthcare, and health complaints. Also, it aims to compare the health status of substance users versus non-users. Health records of 93 detained women from a prison in northern Portugal, with a mean age of 38.02 years old, were reviewed and coded using both International Classification of Primary Care-2 and International Classification of Diseases-10th. Data revealed high percentages of detainees with a history of substance use and pre-existing clinical diagnosis. During the first month of imprisonment, on average, participants had complained to a health professional 14.63 times. Substance users were younger and presented more mental health problems and health complaints. Health policies and professional practices in prison must include immediate assessment of a woman's health concerns and foster the development of efficient protocols to address those problems, especially substance use disorder treatment.

Assistência farmacêutica prisional paraense: fatores determinantes ao acesso aos medicamentos e ao direito à saúde / Prison pharmaceutical care in the State of Pará, Brazil: determining factors for access to medicines and the right to health

Resumo O acesso integral à saúde é um problema global. Estima-se, que um terço da população não tenha acesso regular aos medicamentos essenciais. A Pessoa Privada de Liberdade (PPL) é uma das que apresenta situações de iniquidades de acesso. Diante da singularidade do sistema penitenciário, esta pesquisa objetivou identificar os fatores determinantes no acesso aos medicamentos disponibilizados pelo Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) para a PPL paraense. Trata-se de uma pesquisa aplicada, exploratória, qualitativa, realizada no período de agosto de 2019 a fevereiro de 2020, utilizando-se, também do framework APOTECA. Evidenciou-se na análise do framework APOTECA que fatores técnicos, políticos e administrativos são identificados como principais barreiras na garantia ao acesso equânime aos medicamentos disponibilizados pelo SUS para a PPL paraense. A privação de liberdade, vulnerabilidade social e outros fatores inerentes a realidade carcerária dificultam a efetivação do direito à saúde das PPL, sendo que diversos desafios devem ser superados quanto a garantia ao acesso equânime aos medicamentos.

Abstract Comprehensive access to health is a global issue. One-third of the population does not have regular access to essential medicines. People Deprived of Liberty (PDL) are one of those people in a situation of unequal access. Given the uniqueness of the penitentiary system, this research aimed to identify the determining factors in the access to medicines made available by the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) for the PDLs in Pará, Brazil. The applied, exploratory, qualitative research was conducted from August 2019 to February 2020 using the APOTECA framework. The APOTECA framework analysis revealed that technical, political, and administrative factors are the main hurdles to guaranteeing equal access to medicines made available by the SUS for the PDLs in Pará. The deprivation of liberty, social vulnerability, and other factors inherent to the prison reality hinder the implementation of PDLs' right to health, and several challenges must be overcome to secure equal access to medicines.

Política de saúde prisional brasileira: uma revisão integrativa / Brazilian prison health policy: an integrative review / Política brasileña de salud penitenciaria: una revisión integrativa

Objetivo: identificar as temáticas relacionadas à saúde das pessoas privadas de liberdade no Brasil, abordadas em periódicos científicos, e correlacioná-las com as diretrizes da Política Nacional de Atenção à Saúde das Pessoas Privadas de Liberdade no Sistema Prisional (PNAISP), em vigência. Metodologia: tratou-se de uma revisão integrativa de literatura, realizada nas bases de dados da Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde, National Library of Medicine e Scopus e resultando em 37 artigos selecionados. Resultados e discussão: as temáticas relacionadas à saúde das pessoas privadas de liberdade no Brasil, discutidas nos artigos, estão alicerçadas na perspectiva curativista, com ênfase nas doenças infectocontagiosas, havendo poucos estudos sobre ações promotoras de saúde. A maior parte dos estudos se ocupou da diretriz Controle e/ou redução de agravos mais frequentes, em detrimento das demais diretrizes da PNAISP. Conclusão: a superação da perspectiva curativista nos cuidados em saúde de pessoas presas pressupõe o fomento de ações promotoras de saúde, que fortaleçam a implementação das diretrizes da política de saúde prisional brasileira. Este estudo contribui com a reflexão sobre a saúde nas prisões ao reconhecer das diretrizes estruturantes da PNAISP.

Objective: to identify topics related to the health of people deprived of liberty in Brazil that are covered in scientific journals and compare them with the guidelines of the current National Health Care Policy for Liberty Deprived People in the Prison System (PNAISP, in Portuguese). Methods: this was an integrative literature search conducted in the Virtual Health Library, National Library of Medicine, and Scopus databases, resulting in 37 selected articles. Results and discussion: the topics addressed in the articles related to the health of people deprived of their liberty in Brazil were based on a curative perspective with a focus on infectious diseases, with few studies on health promotion interventions. Most studies addressed guideline control and/or reduction of the most common diseases, to the detriment of the other guidelines of the PNAISP. Conclusion: overcoming the curative perspective in prisoner health care requires the promotion of health-promoting interventions that strengthen the implementation of the Brazilian Prison Health Policy guidelines. This study contributes to the reflection on prison health by recognizing the structuring guidelines of the PNAISP.

Objetivo: identificar cuestiones relacionadas con la salud de las personas privadas de libertad en Brasil, abordadas en revistas científicas, y correlacionarlas con las directrices de la Política Nacional de Atención a la Salud de las Personas Privadas de Libertad en el Sistema Penitenciario (PNAISP), en vigor. Metodología: se trató de una revisión integrativa de la literatura, realizada en las bases de datos Biblioteca Virtual en Salud, Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina y Scopus, resultando en 37 artículos seleccionados. Resultados y discusión: los temas relacionados con la salud de las personas privadas de libertad en Brasil, discutidos en los artículos, se basan en una perspectiva curativa, con énfasis en las enfermedades infecciosas, con pocos estudios sobre acciones promotoras de salud. La mayoría de los estudios versaron sobre la directriz Control y/o reducción de las enfermedades más frecuentes, en detrimento de las demás directrices de la PNAISP. Conclusión: la superación de la perspectiva curativa en la atención a la salud de los presos presupone la promoción de acciones promotoras de salud que fortalezcan la implementación de las directrices de la política brasileña de salud penitenciaria. Este estudio contribuye a la reflexión sobre la salud en las cárceles al reconocer las directrices estructurantes del PNAISP.

Clinical, Diagnostic, and Treatment Features of Body Packing in Brazil: Drugs, Cell Phones, and Beyond.

INTRODUCTION: Body packing consists of the concealment of substances (drugs and non-narcotics) or products inside the human body with the purpose of smuggling and may represent an emergency due to the fatal risk of narcotic toxicity, intestinal obstruction, and visceral perforation. However, non-narcotic body packing, especially in developing countries, is under-evaluated. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate cases of body packers in Brazil as regards narcotic and non-narcotic contents. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzes the medical records of body packers admitted from January 2015 to December 2019 at one of the main tertiary hospitals in central Brazil. RESULTS: Ten cases of body packing were observed. We found that five patients carried drugs, while seven carried non-narcotic substances such as cell phones and accessories. All the patients were male, prisoners, and young adults. In six patients, there was gastrointestinal obstruction, and in three, there was acute narcotic intoxication. Abdominal radiography diagnosed eight of the cases. In nine of the cases, emergency laparotomy was required, but all patients successfully recovered. CONCLUSION: There was a higher prevalence of body packing of non-narcotic content; however, diagnostic and surgical approaches were similar to those of narcotic content. Clinicians must be aware of both non-narcotic and narcotic body packing.

A Cross-Sectional Assessment of Effects of Imprisonment Period on the Oral Health Status of Inmates in Ghaziabad, Delhi National Capital Region, India.

BACKGROUND: Incarcerated individuals usually exhibit high oral health needs than the average population. Several factors contribute to these needs both before incarceration and during the sentence itself. Inmates are a marginalized group, who are at a higher risk for a variety of medical, dental, and emotional disorders than the general population. The aim of the study was to assess of effects of the imprisonment period on the oral health status of inmates. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 532 inmates with imprisonment up to three years, three to six years, and six to ten years were included in the study. Incidence and prevalence of dental caries, decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT) index, and periodontal and prosthetic status were evaluated in detail. RESULTS: Results showed that the prevalence of dental caries was relatively high among the convicts. It was found that 98.2% of the inmates had one or more teeth decayed. Additionally, 31.2% (pocket >4mm) of the inmates had poor periodontal status with 4.5% of the subjects having a loss of attachment score of 4-5mm or more. A total of 3.5% of the inmates had full dentures, either upper or lower arch. The relative need for full prosthesis was projected to be around 1.4% of the studied population. CONCLUSION: Within the limitations of the study, the authors found that dental healthcare delivered and received by the inmates is much below the acceptable limit. Additionally, the incidence of dental caries in inmates was unexpectedly higher with tooth decay in 98.2% of subjects. Hence, the need of the hour is to critically incorporate and reinforce our efforts with a special focus on the risk factors of oral health.

Microbial Indoor Air Quality and Associated Factors in Jimma Town Prison Administration, Southwestern Ethiopia.

Indoor air quality determines the well-being of occupants. It has been linked to sick building syndrome and building-related diseases which lead to many socio-economic problems including reduced productivity and impaired learning. Indoor air quality problem is more serious for prisoners, due to their confinement and exposure condition. However, it has not been studied in our study setting. Thus, this study aimed to determine the indoor air microbial quality and associated factors in Jimma town prison administration, Southwestern Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study design was employed in August 2021. Data on the general condition of the prison rooms and occupancy were collected by trained data collectors using an observational checklist. The microbial sample was collected using a sterilized Petri dish. A total of 19 triplicate air samples were collected using Mannitol salt agar and Sabouroad dextrose agar media for the growth of S. aureus and fungi respectively. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 and presented using tables and a graph. The effect of predictor variables on the microbial load was also analyzed by using linear regression. The finding of this study revealed that the microbial load of indoor air at Jimma town prison administration ranged from 891 to 15 439 and 315 to 3067 CFU/m³ for S. aureus and fungi respectively. Both S. aureus and the fungal load of the indoor environment were positively affected by the temperature of the room. Whereas, the floor space per inmate affects the concentration of S. aureus alone. Almost all rooms of the prison administration had microbial load beyond the acceptable limit. Higher temperature, less floor space per inmate, bad floor cleanness conditions, inadequate ventilation, and dampness were contributing factors to the high load of S. aureus and fungus. Thus, additional rooms are required to reduce overcrowding and keep room temperature.

The relevancy of massive health education in the Brazilian prison system: The course "health care for people deprived of freedom" and its impacts.

Introduction: Brazil has one of the largest prison populations globally, with over 682,000 imprisoned people. Prison health is a public health emergency as it presents increasingly aggravating disease rates, mainly sexually transmitted infections (STI). And this problem already affects both developed and developing nations. Therefore, when thinking about intervention strategies to improve this scenario in Brazil, the course "Health Care for People Deprived of Freedom" (ASPPL), aimed at prison health, was developed. This course was implemented in the Virtual Learning Environment of the Brazilian Health System (AVASUS). Given this context, this study analyzed the aspects associated with massive training through technological mediation and its impacts on prison health. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 8,118 ASPPL course participants. The data analyzed were collected from six sources, namely: (i) AVASUS, (ii) National Registry of Health Care Facilities (CNES), (iii) Brazilian Occupational Classification (CBO), (iv) National Prison Department (DEPEN); (v) Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE); and the (iv) Brazilian Ministry of Health (MoH), through the Outpatient Information System of the Brazilian National Health System (SIA/SUS). A data processing pipeline was conducted using Python 3.8.9. Results: The ASPPL course had 8,118 participants distributed across the five Brazilian regions. The analysis of course evaluation by participants who completed it shows that 5,190 (63.93%) reported a significant level of satisfaction (arithmetic mean = 4.9, median = 5, and standard deviation = 0.35). The analysis revealed that 3,272 participants (40.31%) are health workers operating in distinct levels of care. The prison system epidemiological data shows an increase in syphilis diagnosis in correctional facilities. Conclusions: The course enabled the development of a massive training model for various health professionals at all care levels and regions of Brazil. This is particularly important in a country with a continental size and a large health workforce like Brazil. As a result, social and prison health impacts were observed.