All Tasmanian inmates are offered voluntary screening for the disease, which attacks the liver.

About 1300 inmates were screened in 2013-14, equating to 95 per cent of the prison population, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

The rate of hepatitis C was 26 per cent for male inmates and 37 per cent for female prisoners.

The rate of infection among the general Australian population is about 1 per cent.

The figures were contained in documents obtained by The Examiner under right of information laws.

The high prevalence of the disease among prisoners occurs for several reasons.

Many prisoners are behind bars because of offences related to intravenous drug use, a major risk for hepatitis C infection.

Correction Minister Vanessa Goodwin, a former criminologist, said inmates also had a history of high-risk behaviour when it came to blood-borne viruses before entering prison.

According to the acting chief executive of the Tasmanian Council on AIDS, Hepatitis and Related Diseases, Jade Barker, this behaviour often continues in prison.

‘‘Risk behaviours taking place in prison include unsafe injecting of drugs, tattooing, body piercing and physical assaults,’’ she said.

Ms Barker said issues around improving prisoner health care and the prevention of blood-borne viruses in prison were complex and sensitive.

‘‘But they can and should be solved,’’ she said.

‘‘The majority of prisoners are incarcerated for less than 12 months, after which they re-enter the community.’’

Ms Barker said the wider community, as well as individual prisoners, would benefit if improved health care and harm reduction were  provided to affected prisoners.

Dr Goodwin said high-quality care was available to hepatitis C-infected inmates.

‘‘Treatment takes considerable time and is complex,’’ she said.

The manager of Anglicare’s alcohol and other drugs services, Michael Voumard, said the prison setting posed difficulties for effective treatment but correctional staff did the best they could with available resources.

Mr Voumard said prison represented an opportunity to educate inmates about the disease.

‘‘Some of the people don’t have the basic knowledge. if you have a blood-borne virus, it’s important that you don’t share needles,’’ he said.

FACT BOX:

What is hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C is a contagious liver disease that ranges in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness that attacks the liver. It results from infection with the hepatitis C virus, which is spread mainly through contact with the blood of an infected person. Source: Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.