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Legislation & Politics | ||
Letter to Representatives supporting cosponsorship of Legislation to establish the office of correctional public health (HR 2737)July 13, 2005 Dear Representative: On behalf of the 1.4 million members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the over 80,000 correctional employees we represent, I urge you to cosponsor legislation to establish an Office of Correctional Public Health within the Public Health Service. The legislation, H.R. 2737, would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to appoint a director to administer public health activities for individuals who are employees in federal, state, or local penal or correctional institutions or who are incarcerated in such institutions. Correctional health activities would include population screenings, immunizations, treatment for hepatitis A, B, and C and general disease prevention and health promotion. Because of the nature of correctional facilities and their closed environments, communicable diseases can spread easily and health problems are widespread. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the prevalence of infectious disease is extremely high among inmates. For instance, tuberculosis is estimated to be 4 to 17 times higher in the incarcerated population. Both inmates who are released and correctional personnel who return to their communities can spread these diseases to the general public. Please cosponsor H.R. 2737 which would promote better health for inmates and correctional personnel. If you need additional information, please contact Representative Ted Strickland's staff, Annelise Hafer, at 5-5705 or Jayne Clancy, AFSCME Legislative Affairs Representative
Sincerely, |
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