NCJ Number
105204
Date Published
1987
Length
250 pages
Annotation
This report examines the medical research, policy issues, and legal implications associated with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in the correctional setting and presents findings from a national survey of the incidence of AIDS in prisons and correctional policies and responses related to it.
Abstract
The mail questionnaire received responses between October 1, 1986, and January 1, 1987, from all 50 State correctional systems, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and 31 of the 33 large city and county correctional systems previously surveyed. State and Federal correctional systems reported 455 confirmed AIDS cases, and city and county systems reported 311 cases between November 1985 and January 1986. The majority of cases were found in a small percentage of the systems. Central issues affecting decisionmaking are education and training, the need to reach policy decisions that account for both medical and correctional considerations, the extent of precautionary measures for preventing the disease's transmission, and the uniqueness of AIDS among other communicable diseases. Policy options for each of these areas are presented. The report also includes a discussion of the cause, transmission, and incidence of AIDS; lists and sources of printed and audiovisual resource materials; and examples of educational, training, counseling materials and other documents useful to developing correctional policies on AIDS.