Pubdate: Tue, 10 Jul 2001
Source: Beckley Register-Herald (WV)
Copyright: 2001 The Register-Herald
Contact: (304) 255-5625
Website: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?brd86
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1441
Author: Mannix Porterfield

LOVE PUSHES HEPATITIS VACCINE FOR INMATES

CHARLESTON - Sen. Shirley Love, D-Fayette, renewed his pitch Sunday to 
provide West Virginia's prison population with vaccine against two forms of 
hepatitis - A and B.

Love, chairman of the Legislative Oversight Committee on Regional Jail and 
Correctional Facility Authority, suggested the state could save huge sums 
by innoculating inmates as opposed to treating them after they contract the 
infection.

"It seems like a no-brainer," Love told Dr. Roy White, an official of 
Correctional Medical Services, after learning 44 of the 890 inmates at 
Mount Olive Correctional Complex have hepatitis C.

"Isn't it better to spend $80 for the vaccine than $800 treating an 
inmate?" Love asked. "It seems the vaccine would be much more cost-effective."

At an earlier meeting in June, the senator, who represents the 11th 
District, where Mount Olive is located, pointed out that grants are 
provided by some private sector sources for such vaccine.

Love and fellow members of the panel toured the maximum-security prison 
last March in an unannounced inspection and heard many inmates say 
hepatitis is a common disorder among the population.

"If you want us to innoculate them for A and B, we'll do that," White pledged.

Lawmakers were told shared drug needles, underground tattoo parlors and sex 
are common conduits, although hepatitis cannot be contracted by normal 
contact among inmates.

"Is there any reason why we have to let them keep tattooing each other?" 
asked Del. Margarette Leach, D-Cabell, a nurse.

White said inmates will find ways to provide tattoos, even with the best 
detection by correctional officers.

Lawmakers learned that hepatitis C often doesn't cause any problems until 
two decades later and treatment can be nearly as bad as the disorder itself.

"They want the magic pill," White told the panel, "but it isn't there."

In other matters, a lengthy report compiled by Carol Sharlip of American 
Friends Service Committee showing minorities are arrested, tried as adults 
and convicted in a much greater percentage than the predominant white race 
in West Virginia was advanced to the panel.

And Corrections Commissioner Jim Rubenstein informed the panel that even 
with double bunking to relieve congestion at regional and county jails, 634 
inmates await transfer to prison.

"We've not been able to keep pace wih the significant growth in 
commitment," he said.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens