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Gay Men's Health Crisis released a
new report, "Fenced in: HIV/AIDS in the U.S. Criminal Justice
System," which addresses the dual epidemic of HIV and mass incarceration
in the U.S. and offers policy recommendations to improve the health of affected
communities. This comprehensive report
documents how mass imprisonment often destroys relationships, healthcare
regimens, and employment opportunities for formerly incarcerated
individuals. As a result, communities
with high rates of incarceration also tend to have high rates of HIV
infection. The state of HIV care and
prevention inside prisons and jails is also examined, and comparisons between
states in the U.S. and countries across the globe are explored.
Some recommendations in the report
include:
*Prisoners should be recruited to
become peer educators about HIV epidemiology and prevention. These leaders
should also conduct outreach to fellow prisoners about the benefits of HIV
testing.
*Prisons should avoid the use of
solitary confinement under any circumstances, especially of prisoners living
with HIV. Solitary confinement can make access to treatment and medications
extremely difficult and irregular.
*Condoms and other prophylactic
devices should be made readily available to inmates without having to request
them from medical staff, via vending machines or other dispensaries.
"Through this report and other
work statewide and nationally, we at GMHC assert our commitment to combatting
the AIDS epidemic within corrections systems," stated Marjorie J. Hill,
PhD, CEO of GMHC. "Prisons and
jails are crucial battlegrounds in the fight for an 'AIDS-free generation,' and
they remain a top priority in our policy work."
Many of the maps and other visuals
in Fenced in were drafted by the Legal Action Center. The report also includes an opening statement
from Mr. Hilary Shelton, the Director of the NAACP Washington Bureau and Senior
Vice President for Policy and Advocacy.
To read the comprehensive report,
please visit: http://www.gmhc.org/files/editor/file/a_pa_2012_prison.pdf
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!
