Call to track the spread of diseases in prison

Prison health authorities should be tracking the spread of HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis in jails, the Irish Penal Reform Trust has urged.

The Irish Prison Service is responsible for the health and wellbeing of prisoners, but the IPRT wants the Department of Health to be involved as well.

The IPRT said the monitoring of infectious diseases like HIV, hepatitis C, and TB should be urgently addressed as part of a comprehensive review of prison healthcare.