Prison must be a terrible place to be, though some recidivists seem to have an affection for life inside. By all accounts, violence and drug abuse are common and at least in US prisons, though probably elsewhere, needles are an accessible commodity for inmates.

Sharing injection equipment, whether for IV injections of street drugs or for the DIY tattoos so common among the tribal communities of US prisons, is a recipe for disaster and the rates of BBV transmission must be high. This creates an incredible risk for prison officers – correctional officers in the US – who may be exposed to used needles at any time.

“The unfortunate death of correctional officer Gary Pearce, who was stabbed with a needle infected with an HIV blood-filled syringe, stresses the danger of needle access in correctional settings.

“Pearce opened a security gate for inmate Graham Farlow at Long Bay Jail in Australia, was assaulted with a contaminated needle, and eventually died from an AIDS-related illness.

“Sixty prisons worldwide have needle-exchange programs because inmate access to drugs and needles is prevalent. Earlier this year, prison officers in Canada threatened to walk off the job because of a proposal to introduce an exchange program which could place staff at risk.

http://tinyurl.com/6jxzcy9

Strict prison security must surely be able to prevent the import of and access to contraband needles and drugs but has failed miserably so far. Needle replacement and perhaps supervised injection facilities may be successful though at least in the UK this is likely to result in public outcry.

It’s a hugely complex issue and one for which there is no easy answer. In the meantime, we can but hope that no prison officer suffers a sharps injury but that in the event that such injury does occur they have immediate access to specialist healthcare services in line with that expected for healthcare staff under European Union Council Directive 2010/32/EU.