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All factors that produce active tuberculosis are present in prisoners.    The over crowded condition of most prisons coupled with HIV infection,    malnutrition and IV drug abusing among prisoners may lead to a substantial    tuberculosis epidemic in the prison system . Between January and March    1999 we carried out an active case finding survey in Hamadan central prison,    Iran, through the WHO tuberculosis control program.          We interviewed prisoners and those with cough of at least 3 weeks’    duration were screened by sputum-smear microscopy. If sputum smear was    negative after 10 days antibiotic administration and after three consecutive     negative smear , prisoner underwent chest radiography.          106 of 1115 prisoners were screened; (all men , mean age 33.2years). 79    prisoners (74.5%) had addiction to opium. The most common route of opium    were inhalation (70 cases), oral (20 cases), inhalation-oral (15 cases) and    parentral (4 cases). Two screened prisoners (1.88%) had pulmonary    tuberculosis with positive smear and were not taking anti tuberculosis drugs    and had addiction to heroin. 67 (53.7%) of 106 screened prisoners    underwent chest  radiography. In 2 prisoners the chest radiograph    suggested active tuberculosis, in 2 prisoners hilar lymph node calcification    was seen due to old tuberculosis and in 2 prisoners suggested calcification    and scar of old tuberculosis in pulmonary apices.          As a result, the frequency of smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis in    central prison of Hamadan was significant and must pay attention to it.