Posts
Although the HIV virus is no longer
the death sentence it once was considered to be, Alabama prisons continue to
isolate inmates who have tested positive for it, said ACLU attorney Margaret
Winter on September 17.
On behalf of the HIV-positive
inmates, ACLU attorney Winter requested U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson to
end the longstanding Alabama prison policy of isolating inmates who are
HIV-positive. Attorney Bill Lunsford, representing Alabama prisons, stated that
the HIV-positive prisoners are kept together in separate dormitories for men
and women, but that they can participate in most of the programs available to
other inmates.
The ACLU attorney argued, however,
that the policy violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, because it
prohibits HIV-positive inmates from participating in some programs that would
help their rehabilitation, particularly in obtaining food service jobs. The
lawyers are presenting their cases before Judge Thompson in a trial of a
federal lawsuit challenging the Alabama prisons' policy of segregating
HIV-positive prison inmates.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
