HIV Digest	HIV Digest Archive

Rape has become so common in US federal and state prisons that it could have deadly consequences for the inmate population as well as the public at large, according to experts. Prison rape has been associated with the spread of diseases such as AIDS and TB.

"The AIDS incidence within prisons is alarmingly high," said Pat Nolan, president of Justice Fellowship, which works to reform the criminal justice system. He noted 95 percent of people in prison will eventually be released, so if they contract AIDS or other diseases while incarcerated they will be a tremendous burden to society. A major part of the problem is prison officials who condone rape among inmates, he said, which may be used to punish or control prisoners.

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"Rape and HIV in prison is eight to ten times as high as in the general population," said Lara Stemple, executive director of Stop Prison Rape. The people most likely to be raped in prisons are nonviolent and first-time offenders: those most likely to be released into the general population and pose a disease risk, she said. AIDS, herpes, and other STDs have been spread in prisons, and hepatitis C is epidemic in certain prisons, Stemple said. One in five men have been sexually assaulted in prison, and one in ten have been raped.

Editor's Note: from the Washington Times