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The Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy (MIEP) prohibits using federal funds for ambulatory care services and medications (including for infectious diseases) for incarcerated persons. More than one quarter of states, including California and Massachusetts, have asked the federal government for authority to waive the MIEP. To improve health outcomes and continuation of care, those states seek to cover transitional care services provided to persons in the period before release from incarceration. The Massachusetts Sheriffs' Association, Massachusetts Department of Correction, Executive Office of Health and Human Services, and University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School have collaborated to improve infectious disease healthcare service provision before and after release from incarceration. They seek to provide stakeholders working at the intersection of criminal justice and healthcare with tools to advance Medicaid policy and improve treatment and prevention of infectious diseases for persons in jails and prisons by removing MIEP barriers through Section 1115 waivers.

Background People who inject drugs (PWID) are both disproportionately incarcerated and affected by HIV infection. Systemic inequities perpetuate the cyclic nature of injection drug use (IDU) and incarceration, and both IDU and incarceration are linked to higher rates of HIV infection. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective in HIV prevention and is currently available as a daily oral pill. Longer-acting PrEP options, such as injectables and implants, are also in development to improve accessibility and adherence. Despite these advancements, PrEP uptake remains low among PWID and individuals recently released from jail, and there is limited literature exploring the preferences for PrEP uptake within this population. Methods We conducted qualitative interviews using a semi-structured interview guide with 20 male participants (19 incarcerated in a Massachusetts jail and 1 recently released) to assess perceived HIV risk, knowledge of PrEP, barriers to PrEP uptake, and preferences for PrEP modality and frequency. The data were analyzed using a directed content analysis approach. Results Most participants were aware of their HIV risk but were largely unaware of PrEP and had never been educated about PrEP by a healthcare provider. Participants cited a lack of access to healthcare, stigma around HIV infection, and feasibility as barriers to uptake. While participants expressed interest in longer-acting PrEP, most preferred the oral pill due to distrust of the safety and efficacy of injectables and implants, countering the assumption that modality changes alone can improve low PrEP uptake. Conclusions Our findings underscore the urgent need for targeted education and interventions to improve HIV prevention in vulnerable populations impacted by incarceration. While long-acting injectables have been touted to help address barriers to accessing healthcare among this population, skepticism about the efficacy of long-acting injectables among this population may prevent these efforts. It is important to further research the willingness to uptake PrEP and modality preferences among this population to meet their needs.

HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing for all people in jail is recommended by the CDC. In the community, there are barriers to HIV and HCV testing for minoritized people. We examined the relationship between race and infectious diseases (HIV, HCV, syphilis) testing in one Massachusetts jail, Middlesex House of Corrections (MHOC). This is a retrospective analysis of people incarcerated at MHOC who opted-in to infectious diseases testing between 2016–2020. Variables of interest were race/ethnicity, self-identified history of psychiatric illness, and ever having experienced restrictive housing. Twenty-three percent (1,688/8,467) of people who were incarcerated requested testing at intake. Of those, only 38% received testing. Black non-Hispanic (25%) and Hispanic people (30%) were more likely to request testing than white people (19%). Hispanic people (16%, AOR 1.69(1.24–2.29) were more likely to receive a test result compared to their white non-Hispanic (8%, AOR 1.54(1.10–2.15)) counterparts. Black non-Hispanic and Hispanic people were more likely to opt-in to and complete infectious disease testing than white people. These findings could be related to racial disparities in access to care in the community. Additionally, just over one-third of people who requested testing received it, underscoring that there is room for improvement in ensuring testing is completed. We hope our collaborative efforts with jail professionals can encourage other cross-disciplinary investigations.

Despite national guidelines promoting hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing in prisons, there is substantial heterogeneity on the implementation of HCV testing in jails. We sought to better understand barriers and opportunities for HCV testing by interviewing a broad group of stakeholders involved in HCV testing and treatment policies and procedures in Massachusetts jails. We conducted semi-structured interviews with people incarcerated in Middlesex County Jail (North Billerica, MA), clinicians working in jail and community settings, corrections administrators, and representatives from public health, government, and industry between November 2018-April 2019. 51/120 (42%) of people agreed to be interviewed including 21 incarcerated men (mean age 32 [IQR 25, 39], 60% non-White). Themes that emerged from these interviews included gaps in knowledge about HCV testing and treatment opportunities in jail, the impact of captivity and transience, and interest in improving linkage to HCV care after release. Many stakeholders discussed stigma around HCV infection as a factor in reluctance to provide HCV testing or treatment in the jail setting. Some stakeholders expressed that stigma often led decisionmakers to estimate a lower \"worth\" of incarcerated individuals living with HCV and therefore to decide against paying for HCV testing.\". All stakeholders agreed that HCV in the jail setting is a public health issue that needs to be addressed. Exploring stakeholders' many ideas about how HCV testing and treatment can be approached is the first step in developing feasible and acceptable strategies.

BackgroundOpioid use disorder (OUD) is among the most prevalent medical condition experienced by incarcerated persons, yet medication assisted therapy (MAT) is uncommon. Four jail and prison systems partnered with researchers to document their adoption of MAT for incarcerated individuals with opioid use disorders (OUD) using their established treatment protocols. Employing the EPIS (Exploration, Planning, Implementation, and Sustainment) framework, programs report on systematic efforts to expand screening, treatment and provide linkage to community-based care upon release.ResultsAll four systems were engaged with implementation of MAT at the outset of the study. Thus, findings focus more on uptake and penetration as part of implementation and sustainment of medication treatment. The prevalence of OUD during any given month ranged from 28 to 65% of the population in the participating facilities. All programs developed consistent approaches to screen individuals at intake and provided care coordination with community treatment providers at the time of release. The proportion of individuals with OUD who received MAT ranged considerably from 9 to 61%. Despite efforts at all four sites to increase utilization of MAT, only one site achieved sustained growth in the proportion of individuals treated over the course of the project. Government leadership, dedicated funding and collaboration with community treatment providers were deemed essential to adoption of MAT during implementation phases. Facilitators for MAT included increases in staffing and staff training; group education on medication assisted therapies; use of data to drive change processes; coordination with other elements of the criminal justice system to expand care; and ongoing contact with individuals post-release to encourage continued treatment. Barriers included lack of funding and space and institutional design; challenges in changing the cultural perception of all approved treatments; excluding or discontinuing treatment based on patient factors, movement or transfer of individuals; and inability to sustain care coordination at the time of release.ConclusionsAdoption of evidence-based medication assisted therapies for OUD in prisons and jails can be accomplished but requires persistent effort to identify and overcome challenges and dedicated funding to sustain programs.

Context/background The high prevalence of opioid use among jailed adults offers an unmatched opportunity to identify and treat those with opioid use disorder (OUD), a population that is at a substantial risk for post-release overdose. From a public health perspective, jails are critical touchpoints, as these facilities typically admit more than 7 million adults per year. One clinical consideration is whether pre-trial detainees with OUD would benefit from early induction onto extended-release buprenorphine (XRB). Methods/study design In this 3-year randomized controlled trial, we will identify and recruit 200 incarcerated adults with OUD who are receiving sublingual buprenorphine (SLB) or tolerate a SLB test dose and randomize them to receive extended release buprenorphine (XRB) ( n  = 100) or to remain on SLB ( n  = 100) while in custody. Study participation will continue through their pre-trial time in jail (up to 6 months) or until they are sentenced or released. Community treatment will then be tracked for 90 days following release. In addition to collecting data on XRB uptake in jail, we will assess (1) the percentage of XRB and SLB study participants leaving jail with a clinically active dose of buprenorphine in their system, (2) 90- day post-release MOUD continuation, (3) levels of buprenorphine diversion while in custody, and (4) recidivism and death (90 days). “Clinically active” is defined as receiving XRB within the past 28 days or SLB in the past 24 h. Discussion Findings from this study will demonstrate the feasibility and outcomes of inducting pre-trial adults with OUD onto XRB, as well as offer practical clinical and policy guidelines for best practices for treating this high risk and understudied population.

In preparation for institution-wide vaccination, the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office (MSO) developed and distributed two self-response surveys in December 2020 and January 2021 to assess COVID-19 vaccine willingness among people incarcerated in the jail and one for people who work at the jail. The goal of this study is to characterize vaccine willingness in these two populations of people at the Middlesex House of Correction and Jail with the ultimate goal of informing communication strategies to address concerns and increase acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination.

Objectives. To describe 4 unique models of operationalizing wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in jails of graduated sizes and different architectural designs. Methods. We summarize how jails of Cook County, Illinois (average daily population [ADP] 6000); Fulton County, Georgia (ADP 3000); Middlesex County, Massachusetts (ADP 875); and Washington, DC (ADP 1600) initiated WBS between 2020 and 2023. Results. Positive signals for SARS-CoV-2 via WBS can herald a new onset of infections in previously uninfected jail housing units. Challenges implementing WBS included political will and realized value, funding, understanding the building architecture, and the need for details in the findings. Conclusions. WBS has been effective for detecting outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 in different sized jails, those with both dorm- and cell-based architectural design. Public Health Implications. Given its effectiveness in monitoring SARS-CoV-2, WBS provides a model for population-based surveillance in carceral facilities for future infectious disease outbreaks. ( Am J Public Health. 2024;114(11):1232–1241. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307785 )

While our command staff felt the landscape was ripe for this initiative, we still had questions about how to actualize our vision: * Would officers and staff embrace this operational shift? * Would the young adults truly embrace the opportunity they were being offered? (Participation in P.A.C.T. is voluntary; interested young adults must submit an application and be interviewed.) * How would we manage allowing more out-of-cell time, while mixing individuals with known and competing gang affiliations? [...]those walls that often divide offenders and officers started to crack as those living in the unit came to understand something different was happening-they had an opportunity to help craft the future of their unit. Some of these programs (i.e., parenting, relapse prevention, HiSet, culinary arts, and Framingham State University's Inside-Out Program) are open to inmates throughout the facility, while others are offered specifically for P.A.C.T. The latter group includes, for example, a first-year experience course offered by Middlesex Community College and two programs facilitated by staff from McLean Hospital-the nationally recognized psychiatric teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. A former assistant district attorney and State legislator, he has worked to utilize incarceration as a window of opportunity to address the underlying issues that lead individuals to involvement with the criminal justice system.