AB 2529 Mandates harm reduction prevention education on hepatitis-C for all California prisoners, as well as access to free and confidential counseling, testing and treatment.

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

In order to protect the health of all Californians, I ask you to sign Assembly Bill 2529, and as soon as it is within your power, budget the state Department of Corrections to implement a comprehensive approach to hepatitis-C control. AB 2529 will require that all prisoners received comprehensive hepatitis-C prevention education, and that access to free and confidential counseling, testing and treatment be assured. All of these provisions are conditional upon allocation of state budget funds.

The Department of Corrections estimates that half of female prisoners and 40% of male prisoner are infected with hepatitis C, an estimated 50,000 individuals. AB 2529 will encourage prisoners to make positive use of their prison time, offering them education on hepatitis-C prevention, as well as access to testing and treatment.

AB 2529 (McLeod) will protect the health of Californians by focusing our current hepatitis-C control efforts where it will have the greatest impact at the least costs - our prisons. Every year thousands of men and women return to their communities, completely ignorant of their infection or methods for preventing further spread. Our lack of intelligent health policy is putting hundreds of thousands of non-prisoners at risk of contracting a debilitating, expensive and potentially fatal infection.

Please, Governor Davis, take action to prevent needless death, disease and suffering. Do it in the way that is most fiscally prudent and humane - encourage prisoners to be screened for hepatitis-C and to protect themselves and others from infection.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
August 30, 2002