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| HIV inmates to be desegregated |
| By The Press-Enterprise |
| Published: 02/02/2004 |
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Some inmates at the California Institution for Men in Chino are fighting a proposal to move them into a housing unit for prisoners infected with the virus that causes AIDS. Many say they are afraid of contracting HIV themselves, but prison officials say the change is needed to keep dorms from overcrowding. Sgt. Arioma Sams said inmates in the prison's east yard permanent work crew have raised concerns about the proposed transfer into Del Norte, a two-story facility built in the 1980s to treat inmates who are HIV positive. The transfer will take place next month. Prison officials said the move is needed to save money and prevent housing units at the prison from becoming overcrowded. The Del Norte facility has space available, now that the number of inmates with HIV has gone down, officials said. AIDS is not an airborne virus and living together will not spread the disease, said Sams. The work crew and HIV-positive inmates already coexist in the yard, attending classes and visiting hours together, he said. Prisoners with HIV are already integrated with the general population at many of California's 32 other prisons, said Terry Thornton, spokeswoman for the state Department of Corrections. In 2002, the California Department of Corrections estimated that about 1.4 percent of the state's 160,000 inmates are infected with HIV. Thornton said her department encourages testing and education because inmates often lead lifestyles that can lead to a higher risk of transmitting the disease, such as unprotected sex and drug use. |
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