Theses and Dissertations

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

May, David

Committee Member

Keith, Shelley

Committee Member

Haynes, Stacy Hoskins

Date of Degree

5-9-2015

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Sociology

Degree Name

Master of Science

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Department of Sociology

Abstract

Hepatitis is an infectious disease that affects millions of people worldwide. The current project seeks to achieve two objectives: 1) To understand how hepatitis policies affect hepatitis prevalence in prison, and 2) To understand how hepatitis prevalence in prison affects the general population. Using a content analysis of correctional policies available through each state Department of Corrections (DOC) and secondary data from the 2010 Census, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Corrections Compendium; hepatitis prevalence and policies are analyzed. The content analysis employed for this study revealed that some states have more comprehensive policies than others. However, all states may benefit from modifying their policies to meet recommendations constructed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Findings from descriptive statistics also suggest changes in HIV prevalence and policies positively affect hepatitis C prevalence. Future research should be dedicated to examining how personal interactions in prison also affect prevalence rates.

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11668/20585

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