Low‑barrier hepatitis C care for people in jail
Official title: Implementing a Low-Threshold Hepatitis C Treatment in a Jail Setting
Funded at Rhode Island Hospital · NIH-11192887 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project offers simple, take‑home hepatitis C medicine plus community navigation to people who inject drugs who are jailed, including those living with HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rhode Island Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Providence, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $235,644 |
| NIH project number | 5R34DA061732-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11192887 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults jailed who inject drugs and have hepatitis C, with or without HIV co‑infection, would be the intended participants.
✕Less likely to help
People without hepatitis C, those with medical contraindications to the antiviral drugs, or those not detained in the participating jail sites would not directly benefit from this project.
What this research studies
You would be offered a short, low‑barrier hepatitis C treatment plan adapted for jails called MINMON‑J that includes take‑home antiviral pills when appropriate. The team will work with a community Transitions Clinic and community health workers to help you start treatment in jail and connect to follow‑up care after release. The project is a single‑arm pilot, meaning everyone enrolled will receive the MINMON‑J approach and staff will track treatment starts, completion, and linkage to community care. The goal is to show this approach can be delivered in fast‑turnover jail settings and support people through release.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could cure more people of hepatitis C who pass through jails and improve continuity of care after they leave custody.
How similar studies have gone: Related low‑monitoring MINMON approaches have cured HCV in other high‑risk populations, but applying this model specifically in short‑stay jails is a new adaptation.
Where this research is happening
-
Rhode Island Hospital
Providence, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Berk, Justin — Rhode Island Hospital
- Study coordinator: Berk, Justin
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.