Improving Prison Conditions by Strengthening the Monitoring of HIV, HCV, TB and Harm Reduction

Abstract

This report forms part of the EU co-funded project “Improving Prison Conditions by Strengthening Infectious Disease Monitoring” implemented under the lead of Harm Reduction International in 2015 and 2016. The project aims to reduce ill-treatment of persons in detention and improve prison conditions through improved and standardised monitoring and inspection mechanisms on HIV, HCV and TB. The research component of the project includes a mapping the current situation relating to these diseases in prisons in seven European countries (Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal and Spain) as well as a mapping of practices among monitoring mechanisms in target countries, with particular reference to infections in prisons.The project also mapped existing regional and international public health and human rights standards relating to infections in prisons and developed a user-friendly tool, including a set of key indicators, to generate better informed, more consistent, and sustained monitoring of infections in prisons by national, regional and international human rights monitoring mechanisms.