DO YOU FIND THIS STARTLING?

(I am only going to include one section of this report)

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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Veterans Health Administration
Washington DC 20420

Refer To: 116
April 30, 2009
IL 10-2009-005
In Reply

UNDER SECRETARY FOR HEALTH’S INFORMATION LETTER
INFORMATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SERVICES PROVIDED BY VHA FACILITIES TO VETERANS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

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3. Veterans in Jails

.........c. Statistics on the jail and prison inmate populations suggest significant health risk for Veterans.

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Compared to prevalence in the general population, jail inmates had:

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Five times higher rates for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

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Nine times higher rates for Hepatitis C

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Four times higher rates for Tuberculosis

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Among the three chronic diseases studied, prevalence rates for asthma (8.5 percent) were higher among inmates, and while rates were lower for diabetes (4.8 percent) and hypertension (18.3 percent), the prevalence rates of these illnesses were still high.

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Please - don't let Patrick be exposed to these illnesses due to incarceration.

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Treatment for PTSD in a facility that does not cause PTSD and expose him to these life threatening illnesses is the right answer.

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Please......