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According to South Carolina prison
officials, the state soon will stop its policy of segregating HIV-infected
inmates in its prisons. At present, the state has 366 HIV-infected inmates in
two Columbia prisons. According to South Carolina Corrections Department
Director Bill Byars, the change is part of an overhaul of the agency’s
services, but they have not set a date for officially integrating the
HIV-infected inmates into the general population. Byars explained that the
medical staff had studied the issue and that officials considered it safe to
change the policy.
South Carolina was one of two states
still separating HIV-infected inmates; the other was Alabama. A judge struck
down Alabama’s segregation policy last year on the grounds that it violated
federal disabilities law after inmates, backed by the American Civil Liberties
Union, sued; however, it is not known if Alabama has integrated its prison
population as yet. South Carolina was preparing for its own lawsuit after a
2010 US Department of Justice deadline to end the segregation of prisoners
expired, but no lawsuit was ever filed. However, Byar, who took office as
corrections department director in 2011, said that the department had been
working gradually on the issue.
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!
