Low‑barrier hepatitis C care for people in jail
Implementing a Low-Threshold Hepatitis C Treatment in a Jail Setting
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 ID | NIH-11192887 on NIH RePORTER |
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.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults jailed who inject drugs and have hepatitis C, with or without HIV co‑infection, would be the intended participants.
Not a fit: 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.
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 performed: 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
Providence, United States
- Rhode Island Hospital — Providence, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Berk, Justin — Rhode Island Hospital
- Study coordinator: Berk, Justin
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 below.