Chu and Simons: We need prison needle programs but they must be done right

Prison health is public health.
For 25 years, prisoners, prison and public health doctors, nurses and advocates have been shouting this refrain, trying to convince successive federal governments of the critical need for prison needle and syringe programs (PNSPs) in Canada. Until recently, the government and Correctional Service Canada (CSC) failed to act, despite clear and mounting evidence supporting such needle programs and their ability to prevent the spread of HIV and hepatitis C infections