As of June 1, 1987, there have been 438 reported AIDS inmate deaths since the first confirmed mortality in 1981. The typical mortality was a Hispanic or black single male, 34 years old, with a history of intravenous drug use prior to incarceration. He was typically from the New York City metropolitan area and was likely to have been convicted of robbery, burglary, or drug-related offenses. He had been in the system for an average of 19 months prior to death, was most likely to have died of an opportunistic infection (pneumocystitis carinii pneumonia), and died after an average final hospital stay of 28 days. While only 4 percent of AIDS mortalities were female, this represents an increase of 80 percent in 1986-1987 over all previous years. The typical female mortality was Hispanic or black, single, 31 years old, and had a history of preincarceration intravenous drug use. 6 tables, 15 figures, and 22 references.