Allen J. Beck, Ph.D. 

and Laura M. Maruschak

BJS Statisticians

In the 2000 Census of State and

Federal Adult Correctional Facilities,

1,209 of the 1,584 State public and

private adult correctional facilities

reported that they tested inmates for

hepatitis C between July 1,1999, and

June 30, 2000. These facilities housed

about 94% of all State inmates for

whom prison census data were

reported on June 30, 2000. Of the

57,018 hepatitis C tests made in the 

12 months before the census, 17,911

(31%) were positive.

Nearly 70% of all State adult correctional facilities (1,104) reported that

they had a policy to treat inmates for

hepatitis C. A total of 6,046 inmates

were treated between July 1, 1999, 

and June 30, 2000.

At midyear 2000, 1,033 facilities also

reported that, as a matter of policy,

they provide hepatitis B vaccinations.

During the 12-month period, 401 facilities actually administered the vaccination. In those facilities 13,655 inmates

completed the 3-dose series vaccination for hepatitis B.

The census was an enumeration of all

84 Federal, 1,320 State, and 264

private facilities in operation on June

30, 2000. The census, for the first time,

included information on testing and

treatment for hepatitis C, as well as

vaccination policies and administration

for hepatitis B. 

ï At midyear 2000, 1,113,035 inmates

(94% of all inmates) were held in facilities that reported having a testing

policy for hepatitis C.

ï Forty-nine States and the District of

Columbia reported having at least one

facility that tested inmates for hepatitis

C. Ten States reported that all of their

facilities tested inmates.

ï 33% of tests in facilities that tested

only targeted groups were positive

compared to 27% of those in facilities

that conducted broad tests (random

basis or all inmates).

ï Of the 1,033 facilities that provide

hepatitis B vaccinations, 680 (66%)

had a policy to vaccinate inmates in

high-risk groups. Thirty-six States and

the District of Columbia completed at

least one 3-dose series hepatitis B

vaccination.

Highlights

Clinical indication 65 87

Upon inmate request 39 56

High risk 32 48

Targeted group only 69% 88%

Broad coverage 9% 6%

Any 79% 94%

Testing policy Facilities Inmates

Percent of ó

Nearly a third of hepatitis C tests

confirmed positive

Other 1,374 4

Targeted group only 46,479 33

Broad coverage 9,165 27

Any 57,018 31%

Percent 

Testing policy Number positive 

Hepatitis C tests

Nearly all State inmates held in

facilities that test for hepatitis C

Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are viral

diseases that attack the liver. The

hepatitis B virus (HBV) and the hepatitis C virus (HCV) can cause lifelong

infection, cirrhosis (scarring) of the

liver, cancer, liver failure, and death.

Both viruses are spread through

infected blood, most commonly in

shared needles to inject illegal drugs,

and through sexual contact.

Hepatitis B typically causes a limited

infection that the body can fight off

within a few months. Persons who

resist the infection develop an 

immunity to the virus; those who do

not become carriers of the virus.

About 5-10% of those infected with

HBV develop chronic hepatitis B.

Hepatitis B can be treated with

immunization if diagnosed within 

2 weeks of exposure.

About 80% of persons infected with

HCV develop a chronic infection.

However, the majority of those with

chronic infection will not have severe

liver damage. Chronic HCV can be

treated with antiviral medications, 

with success rates of 30-40%. These

medications may cause harsh side

effects. 

Sources: The Merck Manual of Medical Information, Merck Research Laboratories, NJ,

2003, and Centers for Disease Control,

MMWR, January 24, 2003.

Overview of hepatitis B and hepatitis C

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Special Report

Hepatitis Testing and

Treatment in State Prisons

 April 2004, NCJ 199173
2 Hepatitis Testing and Treatment in State Prisons

Note. Detail may sum to more than total because facilities may report

more than one policy.

Not reported 53 14,422

Do not conduct tests 322 21.0% 66,822 5.7%

Other 13 0.8% 7,965 0.7%

Clinical indication 1,000 65.3 1,023,368 86.7

Upon inmate request 604 39.5 666,004 56.4

High risk 492 32.1 566,369 48.0

Targeted group only 1,064 69.5% 1,033,862 87.6%

Random sample 27 1.8 29,117 2.5

At admission 61 4.0 38,540 3.3

All at some time 73 4.8 29,951 2.5

Broad coverage 132 8.6% 71,208 6.0%

Tests conducted 1,209 79.0% 1,113,035 94.3%

Total 1,584 100% 1,194,279 100%

Testing Number Percent Number Percent

Facilities Inmates

Table 1. Testing for hepatitis C in State prisons, 

July 1, 1999, through June 30, 2000

Other 1,374 49 3.6

Targeted only 46,479 15,385 33.1

Broad coverage 9,165 2,477 27.0

 Any 57,018 17,911 31.4%

Testing policy Number results

Positive

Percent of those

tested confirmed

positive

Hepatitis C tests

Table 2. Hepatitis C testing results in State prisons,

by type of policy, July 1, 1999, through June 30, 2000

All States 725,660 57,018 17,911 31.4% 2.5%

Kentucky 12,378 611 178 29.1 1.4

Montana 2,080 682 199 29.2 9.6

Wisconsin 10,141 732 417 57.0% 4.1%

Maryland 18,938 839 264 31.5 1.4

Texas 19,304 858 324 37.8 1.7

New Jersey 19,876 699 324 46.4 1.6

Washington 14,682 971 409 42.1 2.8

Connecticut 11,795 1,029 725 70.5% 6.1%

Missouri 27,963 1,112 354 31.8 1.3

Ohio 33,777 1,082 366 33.8 1.1

Louisiana 8,874 897 347 38.7 3.9

New Mexico 3,107 1,213 498 41.1 16.0

Oklahoma 19,217 1,271 276 21.7% 1.4%

Indiana 18,195 1,416 302 21.3 1.7

Illinois 42,614 1,753 190 10.8 0.4

North Carolina 24,310 1,713 368 21.5 1.5

Massachusetts 9,804 2,393 941 39.3 9.6

Idaho 2,820 2,565 68 2.7% 2.4%

Arizona 29,240 2,898 405 14.0 1.4

Virginia 27,202 2,046 782 38.2 2.9

Georgia 41,989 5,206 1,314 25.2 3.1

New York 51,078 5,278 367 7.0 0.7

California 132,447 15,549 7,178 46.2% 5.4%

All 

inmates

Inmates

tested

Positive

test result

Number

of tests

Data on

results 

State of tests

Inmates in facilities reporting ó Percent positive of ó

Table 3. States testing 500 or more inmates for hepatitis C,

July 1, 1999, through June 30, 2000

Nearly 8 in 10 State prison facilities reported testing

inmates for hepatitis C

State prison facilities reported circumstances under which

inmates were tested for hepatitis C, including testing all at

some time, at admission, a random sample, high-risk

inmates, upon inmate request, and upon clinical indication.

Of the 1,584 State prison facilities reporting in the 2000

Census of Adult State and Federal Correctional Facilities,

1,209 reported testing inmates for hepatitis C; 322 facilities

reported no testing of inmates (table 1).

As of June 30, 2000, 94% of State inmates were held in

facilities that tested inmates for hepatitis C: 88% in facilities

that tested a targeted group (high risk, inmate request, or

clinical indication) and 6% in facilities that tested a broad

group (all at some time, at admission, or at random).

About 70% of facilities tested a targeted group, while 9%

tested more broadly. The largest number of facilities tested

inmates based on clinical indication of need (1,000),

followed by inmate request (604), and high-risk indicators

(492). The fewest facilities reported testing inmates at

random (27) or at admission (61).

Only South Carolina reported having no facility that tested

for hepatitis C. Excluding South Carolina, at least one

reception, diagnostic, or medical facility in each State

reported testing inmates.

Nearly a third of hepatitis C tests confirmed positive

Between July 1, 1999, and June 30, 2000, 57,018 hepatitis

C tests were completed in State prisons (table 2). About

31% (17,911) of these tests were confirmed positive. 

Among facilities that tested a targeted group only, a third 

of all hepatitis C tests were confirmed positive. Among

facilities that tested more broadly, slightly more than a

quarter of all tests were confirmed positive.

Hepatitis C tests concentrated in 23 States 

Twenty-three States each reported testing more than 500

inmates between July 1, 1999, and June 30, 2000 (table 3).

Of the 57,018 hepatitis C tests performed in State prisons,

52, 813 (93%) were completed in those 23 States. California alone accounted for more than a quarter (27%) of all

tests. Nearly all of the confirmed positive test results (93%)

were in these 23 States. 

In the 12-month period ending June 30, 2000, more than

2% of all inmates in State prisons tested positive for hepatitis C. Among States administering 500 or more hepatitis C

tests, 5 reported that more than 5% of their inmates were

confirmed positive: New Mexico (16.0%), Montana (9.6%),

Massachusetts (9.6%), Connecticut (6.1%), and California

(5.4%). 
 Hepatitis Testing and Treatment in State Prisons 3

Note. Detail may sum to more than total because facilities may report

more than one policy.

Not reported 52 15,458

No vaccination policy 499 32.6% 190,012 16.1%

Other 117 7.6 95,221 8.1

High risk 680 44.4 665,679 56.5

Inmate request 190 12.4 166,551 14.1

Inmates under age 18, VFC 57 3.7 59,555 5.1

17 1.1 15,245 1.3

Inmates with sexually

transmitted disease

All inmates 190 12.4 203,321 17.2

Any criterion 1,033 67.4% 988,809 83.9

Total 1,584 100% 1,194,279 100%

Vaccination policy Number Percent Number Percent

Facilities Inmates

Table 5. Hepatitis B vaccination policies in State prisons, 

June 30, 2000

Note. Detail may sum to more than total because facilities may report

more than one policy.

Other 36 36,765 1,810

High risk 328 369,592 6,905

Inmate request 76 88,765 2,894

Inmates under age 18, VFC 28 23,799 523

7 7,262 319

Inmates with sexually

transmitted disease

All inmates 37 29,465 6,115

Any criterion 401 427,324 13,655

Vaccination policy Facilities Inmates vaccinations

Completed

Number of ó 3-dose series

Table 6. Vaccinations administered for hepatitis B, 

July 1, 1999, through June 30, 2000

Mecklenburg Correctional Center VA 712 50

Mack Alford Correctional Center OK 817 50

Crossroads Correctional Center MO 1,476 54

Corrections Medical Center OH 148 58

Pleasant Valley State Prison CA 4,656 60

Western Correctional Institution MD 1,698 60

State Correctional Institution -Graterford PA 3,186 74

Correctional Training Facility CA 7,223 85

Augusta Medical Correctional Institution GA 1,136 100

Pelican Bay State Prison CA 3,299 136

Fishkill Correctional Facility NY 2,237 145

Auburn Correctional Facility NY 1,694 147

Mule Creek State Prison CA 3,566 176

CA 4,625 180

R.J. Donovan Correctional FacilityRock Mountain

CA 6,284 184

California Substance Abuse 

Treatment Facility and State Prison

Central Facility DC 1,981 320

Centinela State Prison CA 4,569 345

California State Prison, Sacramento CA 2,975 858

Macon Correctional Institution GA 1,362 1,300

 Total in all facilities 809,371 6,046

Treated

for hepaFacility State In facility titis C

Number of inmates

Table 4. Facilities treating 50 or more inmates for

hepatitis C, July 1, 1999, through June 30, 2000

More than 6,000 inmates in State prisons treated for

hepatitis C in the 12-month period before the census

Of the 1,584 State operated adult correctional facilities,

1,104 (70%) reported that they had a policy to treat inmates

for hepatitis C. Facilities most commonly reported a policy to

treat HCV-positive inmates for whom treatment was

recommended.

*Detail may sum to more than total because facilities may report more

than one policy.

Not reported 53

No treatment policy 427

Other inmates 345

 treatment was recommended 631

HCV-positive inmates for whom

HCV-positive inmates at greatest risk 489

All inmates confirmed HCV positive 155

Any treatment policy* 1,104

Total 1,584

Hepatits C treatment policy Number of facilities

Between July 1, 1999, and June 30, 2000, 19 facilities

treated nearly three-quarters of all inmates receiving treatment for hepatitis C (table 4). These facilities in 9 States

and the District of Columbia each reported treating at least

50 inmates for hepatitis C. Together these facilities treated

4,382 inmates.

Macon Correctional Institution in Georgia treated 1,300

inmates for hepatitis C, 22% of all inmates treated nationwide. Eight facilities in California treated 2,344 inmates;

more than a third of all inmates treated.

Two-thirds of facilities had a policy to vaccinate

inmates for hepatitis B 

On June 30, 2000, 1,033 State prison facilities reported

having a policy to vaccinate inmates for hepatitis B (table 5).

These facilities held 84% of all inmates in State prisons. 

About 1 in 8 facilities reported having a policy to vaccinate

all inmates. State prison facilities were most likely to report

a policy to vaccinate high-risk inmates (680) and were least

likely to report a policy to vaccinate inmates with sexually

transmitted diseases (17). About a third of all facilities

reported having no hepatitis B vaccination.

In the 12 months before the census, 13,655 inmates

completed a 3-dose series vaccination for hepatitis B

More than a third of State facilities (401) that reported

having a hepatitis B vaccination policy, completed at least

one hepatitis B 3-dose series vaccination (table 6). A total of

13,655 inmates were reported to have completed a 3-dose

series vaccination for hepatitis B in the 12-month period

ending June 30, 2000.

Of the facilities that reported actually completing at least one

3-dose series vaccination, 328 had a policy to vaccinate

high-risk groups, 76 had a policy to vaccinate upon inmate

request, and 37 had a policy to vaccinate all inmates.
Methodology

The 2000 Census of State and Federal

Adult Correctional Facilities was the

sixth enumeration of State institutions

conducted by the Bureau of Justice

Statistics. Earlier censuses were

completed in 1974, 1979, 1984, 1990,

and 1995. 

The facility universe was developed

from the 1995 census. Each department of corrections was contacted to

identify new facilities and facilities that

had been closed since June 30, 1995.

Data were collected from all facilities,

resulting in a final response rate of

100%.

Facilities were included in the census 

if they had separate staffs; housed

primarily State or Federal prisoners;

were physically, functionally, and

administratively separate; and operational on June 30, 2000. Overall, the

census identified 84 Federal facilities,

1,295 State facilities, 22 facilities under

State and local authority, 3 facilities

operated by the District of Columbia,

and 264 privately operated facilities. 

All Federal facilities and 26 privately 

operated facilities that held at least

50% of their inmates for Federal

authorities were excluded from this

report. Data on testing and treatment

for hepatitis C and vaccination policies

and administration for hepatitis B were

not reported for these facilities.

The Bureau of Justice Statistics is the

statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. Lawrence A. Greenfeld is the director.

Allen J. Beck and Laura M.

Maruschak wrote this report. Jennifer

C. Karberg provided statistical assistance and verification. Tom Hester

edited the report. Jayne Robinson

administered final production.

Data collection and processing for the

2000 Census of State and Federal

Adult Correctional Facilities were

carried out by Pam Butler and Linda

Huang, with assistance from Patricia

Torreyson and Bill Bryner, under the

supervision of Charlene Sebold,

Governments Division, U.S. Census

Bureau.

April 2004, NCJ 199173

This report in portable document

format and in ASCII, its tables, and

related statistical data are available

at the BJS World Wide Web site:

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/