Prisoners

The AIDS prevalence in 2003 was more than 3 times higher in state and federal prisons (0.51%) than in the general U.S. population (0.15%).¹ Between 20% and 26% of people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States have spent time in the correctional system.² No precise count of HIV cases in prisoners is available, as brief incarceration, particularly in jails, limited access to health care, and lack of universal screening hinder the identification and diagnosis of inmates with HIV infection. Also, arrestees may choose not to declare their HIV status.³

Racial differences in AIDS outcomes are stark: black inmates are 3.5 times more likely than whites and 2.5 times more likely than Latino inmates to die from AIDS-related illnesses. ⁴

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Featured Links

Evaluation of Large Jail STD Screening Programs, 2008-2009 (PDF)
From CDC’s Division of STD Prevention

Prevention and Control of Tuberculosis in Correctional and Detention Facilities (slide set)
From CDC's Division of Tuberculosis Elimination

HIV Antiretroviral (ARV) Treatment: Guidelines and Strategies for Correctional Health Care Providers
From the Pacific AIDS Education and Training Center

HIV and Institutional Youth: Questions and Answers
From National Minority AIDS Council

Hepatitis and HIV in Prisons
From National Minority AIDS Council

What Is the Role Of Jail and Prisons in HIV Prevention?
From the University of California San Francisco's Center for AIDS Prevention Studies

Prevention and Control of Tuberculosis in Correctional and Detention Facilities: Recommendations from CDC
From Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) MMWR Recommendations and Reports July 7, 2006 / 55(RR09);1-44

Prevention and Control of Infections with Hepatitis Viruses in Correctional Settings
From CDC’s MMWR Recommendations and Reports, January 24, 2003 / 52 / RR01: 1-33

HIV Transmission Among Male Inmates in a State Prison System --- Georgia, 1992--2005  
From CDC’s MMWR Weekly April 21, 2006 / 55(15);421-426

Tuberculosis Transmission in Multiple Correctional Facilities -- Kansas, 2002—2003
From CDC’s MMWR Weekly August 20, 2004 / 53(32);734-738

Rapid Assessment of Tuberculosis in a Large Prison System - Botswana, 2002
From CDC’s MMWR Weekly March 28, 2003 / Vol. 52 / 12: 250-252

HIV in Prisons, 2007-08
From the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Office of Justice Programs, U. S. Department of Justice

Tuberculosis in Prisons
From the World Health Organization (WHO) Tuberculosis Programme

Implementing the Community Standard of HIV/AIDS Care in Prisons and Jails
Webcast from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation

Administrative Management of HIV in Correctional Institutions
Position statement from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC)

From Evidence to Action on HIV/AIDS in Prisons: A Report From the XVI International AIDS Conference
From Infectious Diseases in Corrections Report (IDCR), September 2006

HIV Transmission & Prevention in Prisons
From HIVInSite, a project of the Center for HIV Information

Prison Initiative Publications
From National Minority AIDS Council

Relative Efficacy of a Multisession Sexual Risk–Reduction Intervention for Young Men Released From Prisons in 4 States
From American Journal of Public Health

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¹ Maruschak L. HIV in Prisons, 2003. Washington: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics; September 2005. From HIV Transmission and Prevention in Prisons, HIV InSite Knowledge Base Chapter, April 2006, Elizabeth Kantor, University of California San Francisco
² Hammett TM, Harmon P, Rhodes W. The Burden of Infectious Disease Among Inmates and Releases from Correctional Facilities. In: The Health Status of Soon-to-Be-Released Inmates: A Report to Congress. Vol. 2. Chicago: National Commission on Correctional Health Care; March 2002. From HIV Transmission and Prevention in Prisons, HIV InSite Knowledge Base Chapter, April 2006, Elizabeth Kantor, University of California San Francisco
³ From From HIV Transmission and Prevention in Prisons, HIV InSite Knowledge Base Chapter, April 2006, Elizabeth Kantor, University of California San Francisco
⁴ Lee Moves to Provide Condoms for Prisoners, San Francisco Chronicle, 9/17/06, in CDC National Prevention Information Network Prevention News Update, 9/19/06