The first phase 3 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine trials began in July 2020. China, Britain, and the US have experimental vaccines ready to move into large-scale human testing. In the US, the Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units, HIV Prevention Trials Network, AIDS Clinical Trials Group, and HIV Vaccine Trials Network have merged resources into Operation Warp Speed, as each phase 3 trial is anticipated to enroll 30 000 participants. Recruitment for the first US trial involving the Moderna vaccine is targeting participants “at high risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection.” However, even though 39 of the 50 largest US outbreaks have occurred in correctional facilities and the case rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection in prisons (3521 per 100 000) has been 5.5 times higher than the general population, one key setting in which US investigators will not be recruiting participants for trials of COVID-19 vaccines are prisons and jails. This omission is an example of unintended consequences of well-intentioned policies.

Data-to-Care (D2C) uses surveillance data (e.g., laboratory, Medicaid billing) to identify out-of-care HIV-positive persons to re-link them to care. Most US states are implementing D2C, yet few studies have explored stakeholders' perspectives on D2C, and none have addressed these perspectives in the context of D2C in jail. This article reports findings from qualitative, semi-structured interviews conducted with expert stakeholders regarding their perspectives on the ethical challenges of utilizing D2C to understand and improve continuity of care among individuals incarcerated in jails. Participants included 47 professionals with expertise in ethics and privacy, public health and HIV care, the criminal justice system, and community advocacy. While participants expressed a great deal of support for extending D2C to jails, they also identified many possible risks. Stakeholders discussed many issues specific to D2C in jails, such as heightened stigma in the jail setting, the need for training of jail staff and additional non-medical community-based resources, and the high priority of this vulnerable population. Many experts suggested that the actual likelihood of benefits and harms would depend on contextual details. Implementation of D2C in jails may require novel strategies to minimize risk of disclosing out-of-care patients' HIV status.

Historically, the incarceration of children has been used limitedly. The two reasons used to justify depriving youth of their freedom have been specific and serious threats to either public safety or to the young person’s own wellbeing (such as suicidal ideations). Incarceration should only be a last resort, with the standard being to place children in the least restrictive environment, such as in the community, because of the high risks of physical and mental health harms associated with detention. Although a large body of literature has shown the harms of incarceration in adult populations, less is known about children and adolescents. In their Scoping Review in The Lancet Public Health, Rohan Borschmann and colleagues synthesised the literature relevant to the health of incarcerated children. Mirroring findings for adult populations, the authors found that children in correctional facilities often have poor health and a disproportionate burden of disease. In particular, a substantial proportion of adolescents who are incarcerated have mental health issues, self-harm or suicidal behaviours, substance use disorders, neurodevelopmental disabilities, and an increased incidence of sexually transmitted infections. Less has been documented about the socioeconomic, minority, and disadvantaged statuses of incarcerated youth, but it is likely that those follow the same patterns found in adult populations, with higher incarceration rates for people of lower socioeconomic status and people of colour.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) may be an effective approach to prevent HIV among people who are currently incarcerated or who have been recently released from incarceration. However, awareness and interest in PrEP are largely unknown in this population. This study assessed 417 incarcerated men's lifetime HIV risk engagement and gauged their interest and willingness to take PrEP. Twenty percent reported ever injecting drugs and 4% ever having sex with a man without a condom; 88% had never heard of PrEP. More White men had heard of PrEP, but higher percentages of men of color were interested in learning more about PrEP and willing to take PrEP to prevent HIV. Future interventions should focus on PrEP education and uptake among individuals who are incarcerated.

Objectives The purpose of the present study was to examine associations between life stress and incarceration history in relation to sexual health risk practices among a sample of cisgender Black gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) in the Deep South. Methods: Using data from a sample of 355 cisgender Black MSM in Mississippi and Georgia, multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between life stress and sexual risk practices. In addition, we assessed whether stress may interact with experiences of incarceration to influence sexual health risk practices. Results: After controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, stress was associated with some sexual risk practices (e.g. alcohol and drug use during sex and group sex). Further, when an interaction with incarceration was assessed, among participants who had been incarcerated, high compared with low levels of stress were associated with alcohol use during sex (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 4.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.11-9.99, P < 0.001), drug use during sex (aOR 3.92, 95% CI 1.79-8.60, P < 0.001), condomless sex with casual partners (aOR 2.83, 95% CI 1.31-6.12, P < 0.001), having six or more casual partners (aOR 2.77, 95% CI 1.09-7.06, P = 0.02) and participating in group sex (aOR 5.67, 95% CI 2.07-15.51, P