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Researchers investigated whether
convicted felons who are banned from accessing the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (food stamps), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and
other public food assistance are more likely to participate in behaviors that
put them at risk for HIV infection. A law passed in 1966 bans those convicted
of drug felonies from such food assistance. The researchers chose people
recently released from prison in Texas, California, and Connecticut because
these three states interpret the law differently. In Connecticut, persons who
comply with their court sentences are eligible for benefits; in California, the
ban only applies to individuals who have not completed a drug treatment ban;
and Texas has a full ban without exceptions.
Researchers studied 110 people
released from prison in these three states and determined whether they had a
hard time getting access to food. Results showed that 91 percent of surveyed
individuals reported food insecurity and 61 percent did not receive food
assistance benefits. Those who got food stamps reported that the benefits were
not enough to meet their needs. The 37 percent of participants who reported not
eating for at least one full day in the past month were more likely to exchange
sex for money and to use heroin, cocaine, or alcohol before sex than those who
had at least one meal a day, thus increasing their risk of HIV and other STDs.
However, the survey found no link between food insecurity among populations of
recently released prisoners as a whole and HIV risk behaviors.
Even in states where persons with
former drug convictions are allowed food assistance, food can be hard to come
by. Among participants in such states who reported not having eaten for at
least one day, only 10 percent said they were enrolled in the food stamp
program and receiving enough aid to last a full month. Emily Wang, an assistant
professor of internal medicine at Yale University School of Medicine and one of
the researchers, stated that more research needs to be done on the subject of
food security and people released from prison.
The full report, “A Pilot Study
Examining Food Insecurity and HIV Risk Behaviors Among Individuals Recently
Released from Prison,” was published in the journal AIDS Education and
Prevention (2013; 25(2): 112-123).
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.
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