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Nurses work in stressful environments, and this stress has negative consequences on health. Correctional nurses experience unique job stress in their roles. However, there has been limited research exploring how the correctional environment impacts nurse health and wellbeing. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the variables of organizational characteristics (i.e., job demands, job control, manager support, peer support, workplace relationships), job stress, and wellbeing levels in a sample of U.S. correctional nurses, while exploring socio-demographic covariates. Using a convenience sampling method, 270 U.S. correctional nurses completed a cross-sectional online survey. Informed by the Job Demands–Resources Theory, a conceptual model was created and tested in this sample. Analysis involved multiple linear regression and structural equation modeling. The model significantly fit the data (CI: 0.71–0.83, CFI = 0.51, SRMR: 0.37, and RMSEA = 0.08) revealing the direct relationship between job stress, job demands, job control, and workplace relationships and wellbeing. This study also provided evidence that job stress mediates the relationship of job control and job demands with wellbeing. Results underscore the opportunity for correctional organizations to consider targeting job demands, job control, workplace relationships, and job stress in future interventions to improve the correctional nursing work environment and support correctional nurse wellbeing. A recent study found evidence for a relationship between organizational characteristics & job stress and U.S. correctional nurse wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A team of nurses is transforming the care of prisoners with a learning disability or autism spectrum conditions after setting up the UK's first dedicated prison wing to meet their needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: COVID-19; substance use; opioid crisis; homelessness; social determinants EN COVID-19 substance use opioid crisis homelessness social determinants 1 3 3 07/30/20 20200701 NES 200701 As cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), continue to spread globally, public health experts have warned about the devastating impact this pandemic may have on society's most vulnerable [1]. Decriminalization of PWUD and access to harm reduction services for PWUD must also be prioritized during the COVID-19 pandemic. Anticipated scarcity of syringes and other injection equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic may prompt PWUD to share syringes or experiment with new drugs or new drug use habits. During the COVID-19 pandemic some governments have recommended home delivery of HIV medications [25]; similar considerations for opioid substitution therapy and medication-assisted treatment may be possible in certain contexts. [Extracted from the article]

Objectives: To investigate correctional healthcare providers' knowledge of and experience with advance care planning (ACP), their perspectives on barriers to ACP in correctional settings, and how to overcome those barriers. Design: Qualitative. Setting: Four prisons in 2 states and 1 large city jail in a third state. Participants: Correctional healthcare providers (e.g., physicians, nurses, social workers; N=24). Results: Participants demonstrated low baseline ACP knowledge; 85% reported familiarity with ACP, but only 42% provided accurate definitions. Fundamental misconceptions included the belief that providers provided ACP without soliciting inmate input. Multiple ACP barriers were identified, many of which are unique to prison and jail facilities, including provider uncertainty about the legal validity of ACP documents in prison or jail, inmate mistrust of the correctional healthcare system, inmates' isolation from family and friends, and institutional policies that restrict use of ACP. Clinicians' suggestions for overcoming those barriers included ACP training for clinicians, creating psychosocial support opportunities for inmates, revising policies that limit ACP, and systematically integrating ACP into healthcare practice. Conclusion: Despite an increasing number of older and seriously ill individuals in prisons and jails, many correctional healthcare providers lack knowledge about ACP. In addition to ACP barriers found in the community, there are unique barriers to ACP in prisons and jails. Future research and policy innovation are needed to develop clinical training programs and identify ACP implementation strategies for use in correctional settings. J Am Geriatr Soc 66:2382–2388, 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Women in prison have complex medical needs and poorer health status than the general population. Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) women in prison, particularly those with limited English proficiency (LEP), have distinct needs and risk additional isolation, discrimination and marginalization when they are in prison. Objective: We sought to examine how cultural and linguistic diversity, particularly LEP, affects the health‐care experiences of women in prison. Design, Setting and Participants: We conducted focus groups and semi‐structured qualitative interviews with CALD women and frontline nursing staff in the three female Correctional Centres in New South Wales, Australia. Results: Participants comprised 30 women in prison and nine nurses. Both women and staff reported communication difficulties as a significant and additional barrier to accessing and receiving health care. For some women with LEP, barriers to care were perceived as discrimination. Fellow prisoners were often utilized as support persons and informal interpreters ("peer interpreters") in place of formally trained interpreters. While peer interpreters were perceived as useful, potential challenges to their use were vulnerability to coercion, loss of confidentiality, untrained health advice and errors of interpretation. Conclusion: The persistent use of peer interpreters in prison is complicated by the lack of clearly defined roles, which can include informal peer support roles and lay health advice. These are highly complex roles for which they are unlikely to be adequately trained or supported, despite perceived benefits to their use. Improved understanding and facilitation of health‐related communication could enhance equity of access for CALD women in prison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objective: To describe the difficulties in applying the Therapeutic Relationship in the care of patients suffering from mental illness, admitted to a Prison Psychiatric Center. Method: Narrativity as an instrument to resize and reflect on nursing care practice, from the perspective of the relationship of help in the care of patients with mental illness. Results: The elaboration of this first-person account has contributed to show that the nursing professionals in Penitentiary Psychiatric Centers work to achieve visibility and avoid being institutionalized. Conclusions: Through the narrative the initial purpose of describing the different difficulties in the application of the Therapeutic Relationship in the care of patients suffering from mental illness, admitted to a Prison Psychiatric Center, has been reached. The narrative constitutes a pertinent instrument for the reflection on the practice of the nursing specialist in Mental Health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately 20% of the roughly 2.5 million individuals incarcerated in the United States have a serious mental illness (SMI). As a result of their illnesses, these individuals are often more likely to commit a crime, end up incarcerated, and languish in correctional settings without appropriate treatment. The objective of the present study was to investigate how correctional facility personnel reconcile the ethical challenges that arise when housing and treating individuals with SMI. Four focus groups and one group interview were conducted with employees (n = 24) including nurses, clinicians, correctional officers, administrators, and sergeants at a county jail in Pennsylvania. Results show that jail employees felt there are too many inmates with SMI in jail who would benefit from more comprehensive treatment elsewhere; however, given limited resources, employees felt they were doing the best they can. These findings can inform mental health management and policy in a correctional setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prisons are contexts where nurses are required to have specific skills to ensure that, in a setting designed for the expiation of crime, prisoners receive the same type of care as anyone else. But this is not always the case, giving rise to ethical issues. Research questions: 'How do correctional nurses describe their working experience in prisons? What issues emerged?' Methodology: This is a qualitative descriptive study. Following purposive sampling, we conducted five focus groups. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Participants and research context: Our sample included 31 correctional nurses in seven prisons in Northern Italy. Ethical considerations: The scientific merit of this study was recognized by the Academic Board of the University of Genoa. Approval to conduct the study was obtained from the Liguria Regional Government that funded this study and from the Local Health Authority that was the prison nurses'employer. Formal consent was obtained from all the nurses who volunteered to participate in this study. Findings: Five themes emerged from the focus groups: (1) prisoners' healthcare needs, (2) negotiation between custody and care, (3) satisfaction of working in prisons, (4) obstacles to quality care and (5) safety. 'Manipulation'was a transversal theme that emerged from all the focus groups. Discussion: The problems generated by the clash between prison security and nursing care priorities did not enable nurses to practice autonomously and provide the best possible to care prisoners, giving rise to ethical issues andmoral distress.This in turn causes high nursing turnover rates that negatively impact continuum of care. Conclusion: In Italy, correctional nurses urgently require specific education interventions with the participation of all those who work in prisons. Interventions based on the post-modern concept of restorative nursing could offer prison nurses the opportunity to both resolve ethical issues and reduce moral distress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper examines the application of public health nursing education with an emphasis on the social determinants of health within a correctional facility. The innate tension between public health practice and the punitive nature of correctional confinement is discussed through the perspective of student involvement. Exemplars of unexpected contingencies endemic to this practice setting are provided as are insights gleaned from this pilot collaboration between a college of nursing and a county correctional system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives To examine the quality and safety of nurse practitioner services of two newly implemented nurse practitioner models of care at a correctional facility. Background Nurse practitioners could help to meet the physical and mental health needs of Australia's growing prison population; however, the nurse practitioner role has not previously been evaluated in this context. Design A quality assurance study conducted in an Australian prison where a primary health nurse practitioner and a mental health nurse practitioner were incorporated into an existing primary healthcare service. The study was guided by Donabedian's structure, processes and outcomes framework. Methods Routinely collected information included surveys of staff attitudes to the implementation of the nurse practitioner models ( n = 21 staff), consultation records describing clinical processes and time use ( n = 289 consultations), and a patient satisfaction survey ( n = 29 patients). Data were analysed descriptively and compared to external benchmarks where available. Results Over the two-month period, the nurse practitioners provided 289 consultations to 208 prisoners. The presenting problems treated indicated that most referrals were appropriate. A significant proportion of consultations involved medication review and management. Both nurse practitioners spent more than half of their time on individual patient-related care. Overall, multidisciplinary team staff agreed that the nurse practitioner services were necessary, safe, met patient need and reduced treatment delays. Conclusions Findings suggest that the implementation of nurse practitioners into Australian correctional facilities is acceptable and feasible and has the potential to improve prisoners' access to health services. Structural factors (e.g., room availability and limited access to prisoners) may have reduced the efficiency of the nurse practitioners' clinical processes and service implementation. Relevance to clinical practice Results suggest that nurse practitioner models can be successfully integrated into a prison setting and could provide a nursing career pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the rate of HIV infection among US prison inmates is considerably higher than that of the general population, little is known about age-related changes in HIV-infected inmates over the last decade. This study of the nation's largest state prison system examined (1) whether the mean age of the HIV-infected inmate increased over the last decade, and (2) whether the prevalence of HIV and associated comorbidities varied according to age. The study population included all 230,103 inmates incarcerated in the Texas prison system for any duration during 2014. A separate analysis was conducted on all HIV-infected inmates incarcerated between 2004 and 2014. Information on medical conditions and demographic factors was obtained from an institution-wide electronic medical record system. From 2004 to 2014, the mean age of HIV-infected inmates in the prison system increased from 39.3 to 42.5 years, compared to an increase of 36.1-37.9 for all Texas prison inmates. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the independent contributions of multiple demographic and clinical covariates in predicting the binary outcome, HIV infection. The model showed that, in 2014, HIV infection was elevated in inmates who were aged 40-49 years (OR = 3.1; 95% CI 2.7-3.3), aged 50-59 years (OR = 2.4; 95% CI 2.1-2.7), African American (OR = 3.0; 95% CI 2.8-3.3), and in those with several chronic diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR = 1.7; 95% CI 1.5-1.9), hepatitis C (OR = 2.7; 95% CI 2.5-3.1), major depressive disorder (OR = 1.7; 95% CI 1.5-2.1), bipolar disorder (OR = 2.3; 95% CI 1.8-2.8), and schizophrenia (OR = 1.5; 95% CI 1.3-1.8). Among HIV-infected inmates (n = 2960), the percentage with comorbid disease increased in a linear fashion according to age (p < .01). Correctional health systems must adapt to address the evolving epidemiology of HIV among inmate populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Core correctional practices (CCP) are an evidence-based approach that can improve the quality of the prison environment and enhance prisoner outcomes. CCP focus on increasing the effectiveness of treatment interventions as well as the therapeutic potential of relationships between prisoners and correctional staff. This study utilizes a new survey-based measurement tool to assess inmate perceptions of the quality of service delivery and level of adherence to CCP. It then examines the relationship between perceptions of CCP and prisoner's preparedness for releasing using both bivariate and multivariate analyses. The results show that the perceptions of CCP are positively correlated with readiness for release and are the most powerful predictor of readiness for release in the multivariate models. Implications for the future operationalization of CCP and its role in prisoner reentry are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rev Rene is the property of Rev Rene and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

PROBLEM: With an evolving focus on primary, community‐based, and patient‐centered care rather than acute, hospital‐centric, disease‐focused care, and recognition of the importance of coordinating care and managing transitions across providers and settings of care, registered nurses need to be prepared from a different and broader knowledge base and skills set. A culture change among nurse educators and administrators and in nursing education is needed to prepare competent registered nurses capable of practicing from a health promotion, disease prevention, community‐ and population‐focused construct in caring for a population of patients who are presenting health problems and conditions that persist across decades and/or lifetimes. While healthcare delivery is moving from the hospital to ambulatory and community settings, community‐based educational opportunities for nursing students are shrinking due to a variety of reasons, including but not limited to increased regulatory requirements, the presence of competing numbers of nursing schools and their increased enrollment of students, and decreasing availability of community resources capable and willing to precept students in an all‐day interactive learning environment. METHODS: A detailed discussion of one college of nursings' journey to find an innovative solution and approach to the dilemma of limited and decreasing available community clinical sites to prepare senior level prelicensure baccalaureate nursing students for healthcare practice in the twenty‐first century. FINDINGS: This article demonstrated how medium/maximum prisons can provide an ideal learning experience for not only technical nursing skills but more importantly for reinforcing key learning goals for community‐based care, raising population‐based awareness, and promoting cultural awareness and sensitivity. In addition, this college of nursing overcame the challenges of initiating and maintaining clinical placement in a prison facility, collaboratively developed strategies to insure student and faculty safety satisfying legal and administrative concerns for both the college of nursing and the prison, and developed educational postclinical assignments that solidified clinical course and nursing program objectives. Lastly, this college of nursing quickly learned that not only did nursing students agree to clinical placement in an all‐male medium‐ to maximum‐security prison despite its accompanying restrictive regulations especially as it relates to their access to personal technology devices, but there was an unknown desire for a unique clinical experience. CONCLUSION: The initial pilot program of placing eight senior level prelicensure baccalaureate nursing students in a 4,000‐person all male medium‐ to maximum‐security prison for their community clinical rotation has expanded to include three state‐run maximum all male prisons in two states, a 3,000‐person male/female federal prison, and several juvenile detention centers. Clinical placement of students in these sites is by request only, resulting in lengthy student waiting lists. This innovative approach to clinical learning has piqued the interest of graduate nurse practitioner (NP) students as well. One MSN, NP student has been placed in the federal prison every semester for over a year. Due to increasing interest from graduate students to learn correctional health nursing, the college of nursing is now expanding NP placement to the other contracted maximum‐security prisons. This entire experience has changed clinical policies within a well‐established academic culture and promoted creative thinking regarding how and where to clinically educate and prepare registered baccalaureate nurses for the new culture of health and wellness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the policy Implications of aging prison populations. Design/methodology/approach An examination of the worldwide aging trend in prison and its implications for correctional policy, including an examination of population aging in California prisons as a case example of needed reform. Findings Prison populations worldwide are aging at an unprecedented rate, and age-related medical costs have had serious consequences for jurisdictions struggling to respond to the changes. These trends are accompanied by a growing body of evidence that old age is strongly correlated with desistance from criminal behavior, suggesting an opportunity to at least partially address the challenges of an aging prison population through early release from prison for appropriate persons. Originality/value Some policies do exist that aim to reduce the number of older, chronically ill or disabled and dying people in prison, but they have not achieved that goal on a sufficient scale. An examination of the situation in California shows that recognizing how the healthcare needs of incarcerated people change as they age - and how aging and aging-related health changes often decrease an older person's likelihood of repeat offense - is critical to achieving effective and efficient policies and practices aimed at adequately caring for this population and reducing their numbers in prisons when appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Correctional healthcare should promote the protection of human rights. The purpose of this paper is to bring a discussion of human rights into debates on how such policy should be best organized. Design/methodology/approach The paper achieves its aim by providing an analysis of European prison law and policy in the area of prison health, through assessing decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, as well as policies created by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture. Findings The paper describes the position of the European Court of Human Rights on the topics of access to healthcare, ill health and release from prison, mental illness in prison, and the duty to provide rehabilitative programming for those seeking to reduce their level of "risk." It also argues that human rights law can be a source of practical reform, and that legal frameworks have much to offer healthcare leaders seeking to uphold the dignity of those in their care. Originality/value This paper will provide a rare example of the engagement of human rights law with correctional health policy. It provides practical recommendations arising out of an analysis of European human rights law in the area of prisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Although the reform of solitary confinement is underway in many jurisdictions around world, isolation remains in widespread use in many jails and prisons. The purpose of this paper is to discuss opportunities for reform in the USA that could also be applied globally. Design/methodology/approach A review of the evidence on solitary confinement policies and practices in the USA to develop recommendations for reform with global application. Findings Focusing on this evidence, the authors argue that solitary confinement is overused and recommend a multi-level approach available to correctional systems worldwide including: immediately limiting solitary confinement to only those cases in which a violent behavioral infraction has been committed for which safety cannot otherwise be achieved, ensuring the briefest terms of isolation needed to achieve legitimate and immediate correctional goals, prohibiting its use entirely for some populations, regularly reviewing all isolated prisoners for as-soon-as-possible return to general population, including the immediate return of those showing mental and physical health risk factors, assisting individuals who are transitioning out of isolation (either to the general population or to the community), and partnering with medical, public health, and criminal justice experts to develop evidence-based alternatives to solitary confinement for nearly all prisoners. Originality/value This paper provides an overview of the evidence supporting an overhaul of solitary confinement policy in the USA and globally where solitary confinement remains in wide use and offers recommendations for immediate steps that can be taken toward achieving evidence-based solitary confinement reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore what it means to promote healthy sexuality for incarcerated women. We report upon the experiences of ten inmates in the Female Central Penitentiary of Santiago, Chile, regarding their sexuality within prison. We used a qualitative, descriptive research approach. Individual and semistructured interviews were conducted with women from different sections of the prison over a 2‐month period. Participants highlighted the site for conjugal visits, the Venusterio, as a place of privacy and sexual expression between couples from outside prison. Motivated by loneliness, need of protection, and desire for affection, participants enacted alternate gender and sexual identities and sexual orientation. Some previously heterosexual women became ‘machos’, women taking on dominant masculine identities. Women found a paradoxical freedom to express a malleable and fluid sexual identity, an identity that might not go outside the prison. Informed by Judith Butler's idea of performativity, we argue that women could enact both different gender and sexual identities in search of satisfying their affective and erotic desires while under the duress of incarceration. The findings suggest a need for a more fluid understanding of gender and sexuality, especially for those midwives and nurses who strive to promote sexual health, not only reproductive health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In line with the global goal to eliminate hepatitis C as a public health threat by the year 2030, Malaysia has adopted a few strategies to expand the screening and treatment coverage in people living with the disease over the last few years. The application of compulsory licensing in the year 2017 on sofosbuvir allowed the import of its lower-priced, generic version, successfully enhancing the accessibility of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in Malaysia. Such an initiative also enabled the launch of a WHO-recommended DAA combination (sofusbuvir/ daclatasvir) as the standard treatment for hepatitis C and catalyzed the decentralization of hepatitis C care through primary healthcare centers in Malaysia. Despite the constant growth of treatment coverage over the years, Malaysia realizes the need to go beyond the people who seek care from public health institutions, so-called the "low-hanging fruit", in case-finding for hepatitis C. Our focus going forward is to find the missing millions via inter-organizational collaborations and outreach programs, targeting unreached populations ranging from prisoners, people who inject drugs to refugees. In partnership with international civil society organizations, Malaysia will also continue to explore options for hepatitis C treatment and screening through R&D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The over-representation of Indigenous Australians in custody is well documented, yet little is known about whether the health and social needs of Indigenous prisoners are met in correctional facilities. This study sought to identify common areas of need in a representative sample of Indigenous people in custody, and consider how well prison services were addressing these issues. Methods: The sample comprised 122 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in custody in Victoria. Participants were administered the Camberwell Assessment of Need Forensic-Short Version to ascertain the presence or absence of needs in custody. Statistical analyses to determine associations with re-offence were conducted. Results: Findings indicated that prisons were able to meet the non-criminogenic needs of many offenders; however there was a limited capacity to address specific criminogenic needs. Psychological distress, substance abuse, poor treatment adherence and threatening behaviours were considered ongoing needs regardless of supports/interventions being provided. Moreover, these four unaddressed needs were all associated with future recidivism. Conclusions: Effective prison treatment services focusing on these four areas of need are urgently required. Such initiatives require continuation post-release combined with additional assistance to uphold basic non-criminogenic needs acquired in prison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical and functional health issues among older prisoners may be difficult to address in an environment designed for younger inmates. This article investigates the relationships between older prisoners’ health, their experiences of the prison environment and health services, and their levels of psychological distress. One hundred and seventy-three older prisoners (aged 50 years and older) from eight Australian prisons were interviewed using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, with additional information collected from prisoner interviews and correctional health files. Distress scores were significantly associated with measures of physical health, functional independence, and health care utilization. However, a hierarchical regression analysis determined that physical difficulties in the prison environment and issues accessing prison health care explained a significant proportion of the variation in older prisoners’ distress scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prison‐based animal programs have shown promise when it comes to increased sociability, responsibility, and levels of patience for inmates who participate in these programs. Yet there remains a dearth of scientific research that demonstrates the impact of prison‐based animal programs on inmates' physical and mental health. Trials of animal‐assisted therapy interventions, a form of human‐animal interaction therapy most often used with populations affected by depression/anxiety, mental illness, and trauma, may provide models of how prison‐based animal program research can have widespread implementation in jail and prison settings, whose populations have high rates of mental health problems. This paper reviews the components of prison‐based animal programs most commonly practiced in prisons today, presents five animal‐assisted therapy case studies, evaluates them based on their adaptability to prison‐based animal programs, and discusses the institutional constraints that act as barriers for rigorous prison‐based animal program research implementation. This paper can serve to inform the development of a research approach to animal‐assisted therapy that nurses and other public health researchers can use in working with correctional populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the ever increasing incarcerated population in the U.S. and a lack of data documenting weight status of this population, we document the weight status of male inmates in a unified correctional facility in Rhode Island using BMI and waist circumference. This needs assessment describes the characteristics of men most at risk of weight gain and elevated disease risk associated with their weight status in order to build the groundwork for a collaborative health intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Punjab is currently facing the problem of addiction on an epidemic scale and addiction poses a formidable risk to HIV. This study was planned with a motive to understand some behavioural pattern of HIV positive prison inmates, who pose significant risk to fellow inmates and are themselves vulnerable to various illnesses due to their HIV status. Objective: To study the demographic profile along with the knowledge, attitude and practices, with regards to HIV risky behaviour of HIV positive prisoners. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study from an Indian jail. Materials and Method: A total of 61 prisoners who tested positive for HIV and agreed to participate in this ethically approved study after giving an informed consent, were assessed through a investigator designed proforma to know the demographic profile alongwith knowledge, attitude and practices, with regards to HIV risky behaviour. Results: Among the 707 jail inmates who were tested for HIV, 76 subjects (10.7%) prisoners tested reactive for HIV. Among these 76 HIV positive inmates, all were male. 61 subjects agreed to participate in the study through an informed consent. The results show that the study sample had a mean age of 30 years, 45 of the subjects were convicts (74%), 35 subjects were married (57%), 34 subjects had urban residential background (58%), 45 subjects belonged to Sikh religion (74%), 38 subjects were under matriculate (62%). 59 subjects gave the history of life time use of Intravenous drug usage (96.7%). Conclusions: High prevalence of IV drug abuse in Indian prisons is an alarming situation. The adequate management of such persons in prison, with minimising associated risk for blood-borne infections has come up as an important issue, in the wake of rising number of arrests for illegal possession of drugs in this part of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors explore the current state-of-the art of correctional nursing by summarizing the types of interventions employed by nurses, across studies, designed to assist this challenging group of patients. This examination of evidence-based interventions implemented and tested by correctional nurses provides a better understanding of their role and function. Correctional health is a nurse driven system, yet a minimal amount is known about the nurses who practice in these environments or about their contributions to the practice of mental health nursing in correctional environments. An integrative review utilizing PRISMA guidelines examined five databases (Medline/PubMed, PsycInfo, PsychArticles, Sage Criminology, and Academic Search) for peer-reviewed articles that fit selected criteria. Of 324 references identified, 16 studies met criteria. Following assessment of strength of evidence, only eight studies offered scientific proof of the effectiveness of nursing interventions. Nursing interventions implemented in correctional settings targeted incarcerated persons with behavioral and psychological symptoms. Interventions included psycho-education, environmental adaptations, and behavior therapies. The centrality of nurses in correctional health care emphasizes the significance of understanding their role and function in this setting. This integrative review revealed that correctional nurses are actively engaged in providing therapeutic, evidence-based interventions in the health care of incarcerated persons. Of interest, seven of the eight studies focused on incarcerated persons with mental health or substance use issues. Nurse led interventions such as CBT, labyrinth walking, and yoga aim to improve coping and adaptation of incarcerated persons. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Prison life is difficult, and when a prisoner develops a serious illness, the difficulty is significantly compounded. I The health care providers involved in the prisoners' care also face tremendous challenges in providing the best care possible while observing prison rules and the need I for public safety, often in desperately underfunded, underresourced circumstances. This article includes a discussion of the ethical issues, especially justice issues, encountered in provision of care for prisoners that should, but often does not, approximate that of nonprisoner care. The history of the prison hospice movement is described. The case of a prisoner with extensive cancer and multiple symptoms is presented to highlight the ethical, existential, and practical issues encountered especially by the nurses, as well as other team members providing care for prisoners with advanced cancer. Then follows a discussion of the collaborative, compassionate approach to his care that maintained public and personal safety while optimizing symptom management and respect for his goals of care. Finally, suggestions for improving care of inmates with serious illness are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The involvement with drugs constitutes a main cause of women imprisonment and it is related to gender issues. A qualitative research aimed at knowing the imaginary of female prisoners about drugs. Twenty-six prisoners were investigated and projective technique of drawing-story was applied with the theme, and its analysis was grounded on the Theory of Social Representations. Elements of social representations found on drawings and story contents, permeated with realisms, showed psychic suffering and aggressiveness, objectified and anchored on participants' affective, behavioral and psychosocial dimensions. Imprisonment makes evident the lowering of esteem, retraction and isolation signaled as motives for involvement with psychoactive substances in a trial of social recognition and overcoming of affective needs. It is concluded that participant's imaginary of drugs elucidates subjectivities of female role in a cross-sectional phenomenon in the society, and its acknowledgement for women's health practices is pertinent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]