HIV/AIDS Among Female Prison Inmates

Abstract

Research points to the importance of adequate health care in women’s prisons. This is especially important as female inmates are faced with a host of unique and distinct needs, in particular, an increased risk of HIV/AIDS infection. This risk presents a significant public health concern as the majority of female offenders receive limited screening, treatment, education, and counseling related to HIV/AIDS infection and transmission while in prison. Additionally, when these women return to their communities, they are generally ill-equipped to prevent the transmission of their disease. Further, their heath concerns become the responsibility of an already overburdened public health system. Effective medical care in prison alleviates inmates’ growing medical needs and protects the public from the transmission of HIV/AIDS. This study identifies the current state of HIV/AIDS among female inmates in correctional institutions nation wide. We argue that mandatory AIDS screening for all inmates and gender-specific educational programming will lower the rate of transmission and the prevalence of high-risk behaviors, thus reducing pre- and post-release health threats. Future research directions and policy implications are discussed.

Epidemiological Criminology

“…The racial breakdown in that age group shows that 1 in 355 are White women, 1 in 297 are Hispanic women, and 1 in 100 are Black women (Warren, Gelb, Horowitz, & Riordan, 2008). As Franklin, Fearn, and Franklin (2005) noted, incarcerated women are characteristically women of color, poor, unemployed, and single mothers of young children. Imprisoned women tend to have fragmented families, other family members involved with the criminal justice system, significant substance abuse issues, and multiple physical and mental health problems (Bloom, Owen, & Covington, 2003).…”

“…It is widely known that “the female offender is generally over age 30, unmarried, and under or unemployed with at least one child under the age of 18 years. Further, women in prison are plagued with poverty and a lack of education and employment-related skills” (Franklin, Fearn, & Franklin, 2005, p. 100). The huge increase in prison populations is less understood.…”

“…Franklin and colleagues (2005, p. 99) ask, “The question then remains, have correctional administrators and policy-makers heeded the advice provided by scholarly research, or has the problem of HIV/AIDS infection and lack of adequate prison health care continued to expand, affecting both the female inmates and those they come into contact with upon their release to the community?”…”

“…We have emphasized the fact that the great majority of women who enter the corrections system are low income, urban dwelling, non-White, and possess little education (Franklin et al, 2005; Warren et al, 2008). It is well documented that these same factors are highly correlated with unemployment and employment opportunities, or the lack thereof.…”

Impact of Intravenous Drug Use on HIV/AIDS among Women Prisoners: A Mathematical Modelling Approach

“…Women prisoners present specific challenges for correctional authorities as most of the existing prison facilities for women inmates have all being developed for men, who have historically accounted the largest proportion of the prison population [15,[17][18][19]. Scholarly research has called attention to the presence of HIV-infected women in prison and their lack of care while under institutional supervision [20]. With increase in female inmate population in the USA, the prison system is left with a small but significant population who suffers as a result of both HIV infection upon entering the criminal justice system, and contracting the infection while under correctional custody [21,22].…”