How many drug rehabilitation places are needed in prisons to reduce the risk of bloodborne virus infection?

Transmission of HIV and hepatitis B virus infection has been recognised in prisons, and injecting drug use is a major route of infection. Combined results of two pilot health care surveys showed that 47% of prisoners with a history of injecting drug use wanted help to give up class A drugs but only 11% of non-injecting drug users expressed a similar wish. It would therefore seem appropriate for prisons to estimate the number of inmates with a history of injecting drug use and provide drug rehabilitation places for half that number (47% rounded up). Data from three prisons in England and Scotland for which the numbers of drug rehabilitation places were known showed that they provided less than quarter of the minimum requirement based on this formula. The proportion of inmates with a history of injecting or of non-injecting drug use who want help to give up class A drugs requires further investigation in order to refine the needs formula.