There is a simple, outright cure for hepatitis C. But state prisons across the country are failing to save hundreds of people who die each year from the virus and related complications.
STAT reporter Nicholas Florko spent two years talking to nearly 100 people, filing more than 200 public records requests, and reviewing thousands of pages of legal filings to show prisons’ blatant refusal to test and treat people with the condition.
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Death, despite a cure More than 1,000 incarcerated people died from hepatitis C-related conditions in the six years after a cure hit the market, including John Ritchie, leaving behind grieving loved ones like Charlene Hill. Read the story  The worst states In 2022, whether an incarcerated person gets cured of hepatitis C is largely determined by where they’re locked up. Read the story  'Living hell' Lying in a soiled bed, pain preventing him from moving for days, Carl Hoffer died because his prison refused to treat his hepatitis C. Experts say it’s cruel and unusual punishment. Read the story  An $84,000 cure Most prisons say they can’t afford to treat everyone with hepatitis C. But some have figured out how to make the math work. Read the story  A crisis kept hidden Prisons are supposed to report why people die behind bars, but the information they share is often useless. Read the story  'This is going to change things' Phil Turney’s lawsuit, written on a typewriter in prison, forced the state to treat everyone in its custody with hepatitis C. Read the story  'I wait for a phone call' Cindy Trevino was planning to marry her partner when he got out of prison. Instead, suddenly, she had to plan his funeral. Read the story  'You want to give life' Mathiew Loisel was diagnosed with hepatitis C a few years into a 30-year sentence in Maine. Now, he’s cured — and eager to fight for better care for the people around him. Read the story  | |
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