BOSTON -- Team 5 Investigates has learned the state is looking for 18 women in order to offer them repeat mammograms. They were screened at MCI-Framingham, the state's prison for women, which was cited in 2006, 2007 and again this year for Level 1 violations --- the most serious.

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Clearly, female prisoners have no choice when it comes to picking a place to get a mammogram. But most people do. That's why Team 5 Investigates spent three months gathering inspection reports --- reports the Department of Public Health completes, but doesn't share with you.

There are 176 facilities that provide mammograms in Massachusetts. Last year, state inspectors found violations at nearly four out of 10. In addition, 13 facilities last year had Level 1 violations that could seriously compromise the quality of your cancer screening, including false positives.

"But I think even more concerning has to do with the potential for missed cancer," said Suzanne Condon, who heads the public health department in charge of inspections.

For each of the past three years, South Cove Community Health Center in Boston has been cited for Level 1 violations.

"I believe I can look you in the eye and say, it's either going to be done right and the films are going to be done right and the readings are right or we wouldn't do it," explained Eugene Welch, the executive director of South Cove.

Welch said he has worked with the state to make improvements, including hiring a new company to run the mammography machine.

In Worcester, Great Brook Valley Health Center also has had Level 1 violations for the past three years. In a statement, the center's president told Team 5 Investigates: "As soon as we became aware of any concerns, we addressed and corrected each issue."

Congress set guidelines in 1992 to ensure women get high-quality mammograms. They require daily record keeping, quality control tests and yearly inspections. Yet when state inspectors uncover problems, the public never knows about it.

"Other states do it," said Carol Matyka of the National Breast Cancer Coalition. "It is very, very disappointing that Massachusetts doesn't provide this information."

Team 5 Investigates asked the state why it doesn't publish the results.

"We are taking steps to do that," Condon explained. "We have tended to focus our resources on ensuring that inspections were done with the level of frequency that is warranted."

And accurate mammograms save lives. That's why the state wants to rescreen those 18 women from MCI-Framingham for breast cancer. Most have already been released from prison.

MCI-Framingham told Team 5 Investigates that the issues leading to this year's Level 1 violations have been fixed and the staff is working to reverse its poor three-year record.

Access to accurate mammograms is a personal crusade for Miriam May. One saved her life when she was 41 years old.

"Annual screening is so important that if you don't get it done -- and done right -- you could miss something that could save your life," May said.

If you would like to see how mammography facilities in your area performed in the most recent inspections, you'll find those records only here.