Prison Ministries

The experience of professionals addressing health problems of prison inmates suggests that the link between medical institutions operating in the penitentiary system and their counterparts on the outside remains inadequate. Due to their lack of information and relevant skills, a considerable number of prisoners infected with TB, HIV, hepatitis and other communicable diseases never apply for medical services upon their release thereby endangering their own health and that of their spouses, sexual partners and other people they may come in contact with. The primary goal of USSARC is to ensure adequate cooperation between the respective medical institutions through the activities of working in and outside of the penitentiary system. Specifically, we will develop a system of services for prisoners to prevent the spread communicable diseases both inside and outside the prison. Focusing on all inmates, the services will be provided to the imprisoned population starting 9 months prior to their release and then on the outside, through a drop-in centres where they will be provided with additional services aimed at improving their health and reintegrating them into the community.

Objectives
The purpose of this project is to ensure cooperation between the Ministry of Health, Department of Corrections and medical and social services in the community in delivering information, medical help and various references to inmates infected or at risk of infection with TB, HIV, hepatitis and other diseases. A distinctive characteristic of this ministries is that USSARC subsidiaries will play a leading role in organizing provision of services to those inmates who are released and in need of assistance to re-integrate themselves into the community. Taking into account that the USSARC subsidiaries staff are in direct contact with inmates in and outside of prison, they will play an important role in suggesting to the respective government agencies the mechanisms of cooperation aimed at making access to medical and social services easier for those to be released from prisons.

The project’s objectives are two-fold:

(a) To assist inmates in getting medical and social services before and after their release and
(b) To make these services more oriented towards the needs and life circumstances of this risk group.

These objectives will be achieved through setting up an organizational framework for service delivery both inside and outside of prison with medical professionals and USSARC members working as one team.  In cooperation with the Medical Service of the Department of Corrections, health specialists and USSARC members will initiate TB and HIV prevention programme in prisons and then continue and expand it among the released inmates thereby ensuring their integration into the community.  At the same time through training seminars targeting public officials and medical professionals, both partners will contribute to expanding the range of services available to inmates and making the latter more accessible to the imprisoned population and the released inmates.

Public Events and Training for Prison and Medical Personnel
Taking into account that only a fraction of inmates will be able to attend health and risk assessment sessions, it is proposed to supplement the latter with a series of public events to be held several times during the project’s lifetime. These events will include presentations of medical specialists on TB, STI and HIV prevention measures while USSARC members will provide information on social services and self-help groups available for ex-prisoners. Members of these groups as well as those promoting healthy life-style will also be able to make their presentations during these events. In addition, training sessions with prison staff on HIV and TB prevention measures will be held.  Information materials including DVD will be provided to participants. Furthermore, medical staff of selected prisons will receive trainings on diagnostics and prevention of TB, HIV, STIs and maintaining reproductive health. These sessions will be conducted by specialists through several workshops.  A set of treatment standards and CDs containing copies of the training materials will be provided to participants at the end of each session.