Developing a Multimedia HIV and Hepatitis Intervention for Drug-Involved Offenders Reentering the Community

Abstract

Estimates of HIV and hepatitis rates in correctional populations are 8 to 10 times higher than in the general population, the result of risky drug-using and sexual behaviors prior to incarceration. Many offenders resume these risk behaviors after release from the institution, attempting to “make up for lost time.” Thus, reentry is a pivotal period for prevention, yet effective programs for offenders in transitional correctional settings are lacking. Based on past research and with guidance from qualitative studies, a peer-facilitated, multimedia HIV and hepatitis protocol was developed to address risk reduction and barriers of concern to correctional populations. The rationale, theoretical underpinnings, and current study design are described.