Background:
Voluntary syphilis screening was begun under the Syphilis Elimination Program (SEP) at the Cuyahoga County Correctional Facility (CCCF) in May 2000. During the initial four-month period, there were approximately 300 people volunteering for screening.

Objective:
Increase the number of inmates who would volunteer for syphilis screening using an incentive which would be applicable, inexpensive, and usable in correctional facility.

Methods:
In consultation with personnel at CCCF, the single item which most prisoners did not like was the soap the facility used. An incentive program, which gave each person taking an RPR screening test a bar of Dove soap, was begun in October 2000. This program was expanded to include not only soap, but also a small jar of moisturizing lotion in December 2000.

Results:
The number of inmates volunteering for syphilis screening during the initial four months of the  project was approximately 300 per month. After offering the soap inducement in September of 2000, the number of inmates volunteering for testing increased to 495 per month. With the addition of the moisturizing cream the number of inmates volunteering for testing increased to 656 per month for December and January. For the next five months the number of inmates volunteering has remained high, but testing has not kept up with the volunteering number due to lack of jail staff.

Conclusions:
During the last major outbreak of syphilis in the Cleveland area, the second highest reporting type of facility for infectious syphilis was found from the local prison system. Using this as baseline criteria, a good screening environment in the local prison may be used to catch an outbreak of syphilis in its earliest stages. Utilizing an incentive program to increase the number of individuals testing in this type of facility will increase the probability early syphilis may be detected. POSTERS P54-55

Implications for Programs/Policy:
With limited resources and an incentive program in a local correctional setting, many high-risk individuals can be tested for syphilis on a voluntary basis.

Implications for Research:
Ascertain whether targeted approach using incentives in a voluntary setting can ave an impact on reduction of syphilis, and whetherthis would be beneficial when used in a higher morbidity area.