Illinois prisons to use costly hepatitis C drug

The Associated PressApril 18, 2014 Updated 16 hours ago


 



SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois prison officials will be using an effective, but costly, new drug to treat inmates with hepatitis C, therapy that could cost tens of millions of dollars.

The Department of Corrections has approved using Sovaldi, a drug that some clinical studies show has a cure rate of 95 percent, the Springfield bureau of Lee Enterprises reported Friday (http://bit.ly/1i2FPGN ).

But a single treatment can cost $61,000. Corrections officials estimate there are as many as 150 inmates in each of the state's 25 prisons who have the life-threatening blood-borne infection commonly linked to sharing tainted needles.

Members of Congress have asked Sovaldi manufacturer Gilead Sciences Inc. to justify its price structure.

Illinois is beset by a financial crunch. A doomsday budget in which the state's temporary tax increase isn't made permanent has the Corrections Department releasing as many as 15,500 inmates.

Corrections officials say treatment will be on a case-by-case basis depending on the extent of the disease, the inmate's overall health and his sentence.

"It is impossible to say how many inmates will be treated in a particular way or with a particular drug," spokesman Tom Shaer said. "IDOC has decided, yes, these drugs will be used, when appropriate. We cannot determine the extent to which they will be used.

Documents show per-inmate treatment cost could be as much as $122,000. Treating one-third of infected inmates at the base cost would be a $61 million expense, compared with current hepatitis C treatment costs of $8 million.

When admitted to prison, inmates, unless they refuse, are screened for the disease, which when left untreated can lead to liver failure and death. That protocol had been recommended by the John Howard Association, a Chicago-based prison watchdog group.

The association's executive director John Maki said undiagnosed inmates can spread the disease to other inmates and the public once released.

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2014/04/18/3431408/ill-prisons-to-use-costly-drug.html#storylink=cpy

8668471251 is the number that comes on my phone when my man calls and I don't have money on the phone and also the number I call to put money on the phone....8667184777 is when he calls and we have money on the phone I javen't gotten any different numbers since he's been sitting down these past 8 mths even when he was in county it was the same numbers hope this helps

I thought that everyone getting calls from IDOC prisons were from the same # which shows up on the phone.

Maybe someone else can chime in on what that # usually is.

If you are talking about class/program sentence credit, if he is eligible, he will receive only after he has completed the program/s/classes.

If you are talking about SSC, he will also be evaluated and if eligible, he can earn 1-6 months and if eligible not given all at one time or it is not guaranteed, he can be taken away at anytime.

This topic has been moved to SENTENCE CREDIT  -  CLEMENCY - EXPUNGEMENT.

http://www.illinoisprisontalk.org/index.php?topic=32545.0

Hi

I'm fairly new to this, but I have a loved on in Vandalia and he passed the first step to getting in the drug program at Sheridan.  I want to know if Sheridan offer good time and if so, how does that work.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

Got my call today only parts of the prison are lockeddown

I noticed that this morning Robinson got off lockdown. I have a very dear friend there. I had a missed call from an "inmate at a correctional facility" is what it said when I called back the missed number. The number showed up on my phone as coming out of Nevada. Is this possible?? Does anyone have any LO's at Robinson ? If so what does the number normally show up as ? Thanks in advance.

I just got a call from my hubby!!! He thinks there is still one area that is on ld but where he is they are not anymore!!!!

You are going to have to ask him if he forgot to include them in your next letter and if he didn't then let him know and he can find out inside why they were missing.

I don't know if he will get an definite answer, but ask him first.

Do you know what the drawings were suppose to be of?  they weren't gang related were they?

I have removed your last name for security reasons.