The Prevalence Of Hiv Among Offenders

The United States has the world's highest incarceration rate. With five percent of the world's population, our country houses nearly twenty-five percent of the world's reported prisoners. Currently there are approximately two million people in American prisons or jails. Since 1984 the prison population for drug offenders has risen from ten percent to now over thirty percent of the total prison population. Federal prisons were estimated to hold 179,204 sentenced inmates in 2007; 95,446 for drug offenses. State prisons held a total of 1,296,700 inmates in 2005; 253,300 for drug offenses. Sixty percent of the drug offenders in prisons are nonviolent and were purely in prison because of drug offenses (Drug War Facts). The question then arises,

Vancouver Injection Drug User Study (VIDUS) is a project that gives a prospective study and has over 1500 IDU 's enlisted to assist since 1996 and gathers data on drug use, health, sexual activity, etc. Some of the topics discussed included: prison culture, availability and price of drugs and equipment, drug use, VIDUS shows that the risk of HIV infection indicated that incarcerated injection drug users were associated with a greater risk of 2.7 times (Small, Kain, Laliberte, Schechter, O 'Shaughnessy & Spittal, 2005).

Several studies have shown that injection drug users lower their risk of transmitting infectious diseases when there is a needle exchange program available. There has not been a valid study of whether or not the amounts of time needles are returned to the exchange programs are harmful to communities. The Journal of Public Health, conducted surveys, evidence from needle exchange sites, jails, and institutions that needle exchange programs are effective in reducing illnesses such as HIV and AIDS (Burt & Theide, 2016). Furthermore, Reepalu, Blome, Bjork, Widell, & Bjorkman (2012), researched the same individuals for 20 years, with no breaks. Their studies concluded that injection drug use, not only heightens the risk for HIV and AID’s, there is also an increase in Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. However, there studies showed that there is not an increase rate of cancer diagnoses due to injection drug use. In a study conducted by Bonar and Rosenberg (2014), they wanted to see if self-initiated harm strategies, such as: proper needle sterilization techniques, proper disposal of needles, and cleaning of the pre injected skin, could help improve the health of those that use drugs intravenously. Their study was conducted over an eight-month period, results showed that their

A safe injection site (SIS) has been placed in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside where drug use is a challenging problem. The program is a vital piece of the cities known harm reduction approach to its serious problems with homelessness, drugs, crime and AIDS. Canada has drastically shifted its method. Going from punishing drug users to establishing the plan of harm reduction. Since 2003 when the supervised SIS opened, it has presented a safe health-focused center where drug users have access to inject illegal drugs using sterile equipment in a clean environment under the supervision of medically trained professionals. Although there are some serious concerns about the

Drug abuse has always been a delicate subject as it deals with the health, safety, and the well-being of not only the users, but also everyone they come into contact with. Cities across Canada are faced with a rising number of drug abusers, and therefore increased cases of infectious diseases and overdoses by these users. Vancouver housed the first injection site in Canada; its purpose to offer sterile syringes as well as other equipment to addicts, medical care in the event of an overdose or other emergency, as well as counseling and referrals to drug rehabilitation programs. This was a great step towards ensuring the safety and security of the public; drug users are given access to safe, one-use syringes and are provided with clean environment,

Although there are substance abuse programs available in the prison, statistics have shown that those 70% of those who take part in these programs drop out if they have the choice. Prisoners still have access to drugs and alcohol while incarcerated, and the drug trade in prison is significantly more violent than on the streets. During 2003, a total of 8,732 litres of alcohol/brew were seized in Canadian federal prisons. As well as 328 syringes and 357 smoking devices (for cannabis and other drugs) were seized. Random urinalysis testing was incorporated into Canadian federal prisons to lower the amount of drugs used in Canadian prisons. Statistics from an HMPS study from 1997 to 2003 has shown that with the random urinalysis testing the amount of drugs used by prisoners went from 24.4% to 11.7%. However, a CSC study between 1996 and 2001 showed little to no change. Throughout recent years, the rate at which prisoners refuse to take a urinalysis test has increased from 16% to 29% within a four-year period. This finding has been most evident at maximum security

The ethical implications of the Canadian government funding and supporting these projects, considering current drug laws and policies, are questioned by some. People believe that the government should not participate in enabling drug use (Globe & Mail, (2011) and that zero tolerance approaches should be taken. In opposition to zero tollerance attitudes some

Tougher sentencing is not likely to reduce illegal drug use or serious crime associated with drugs (Alexander, 2010; Mauer, 2009; Whitford & Yates, 2009). Despite that, politicians and law enforcement personnel continue to advocate for stronger sentences for those who take or sell drugs of any kind. The jails and prisons across the United States are filling up with drug offenders, and some believe that there are better uses for those jail cells and that there are many crimes that are more severe and significant. These are the crimes that should be provided with tougher sentencing guidelines, but yet illegal drug use is still a serious crime and should not go unpunished. What should be done, and how should changes be made? Those are tough questions that have to be explored and that do not have any easy answers for those who make the laws and those who enforce them. Drug incarceration has been on the rise, with mixed results. According to King (2008), "overall, between 1980 and 2003, the number of drug offenders in prison or jail increased by 1100% from 41,100 in 1980 to 493,800 in 2003, with a remarkable rise in arrests concentrated in African American communities."

Illicit drugs in general are a major problem worldwide, more specifically IV drugs. Adopting needle exchange programs is a good way to reduce IV drug addiction and effects. Not only do drugs become addicting, but they ruin you and your loved ones lives and needle exchange programs can help reduce this problem. Needle exchange programs exchange dirty, used needles and syringes for clean ones, and have additional services: helps get homeless people off the street, rehab options, and mental health services. Even though they give out clean needles and syringes, they do not support drug use and do not allow you to use them on site. Needle exchange programs

Vancouver is a city with multiple “claims to fame”. Known to be one of the worlds most livable, expensive, and beautiful cities, it is also well known for its large population of drug users, and the detrimental effects intravenous drugs have had on the Downtown East Side community. One of the major concerns connected to intravenous drug use is the large proportion of users who report a history of needle sharing, greatly increasing their chances of contracting HIV, Hepatitis B or C, and other injection related infections (Strike, Myers & Millson, 2004). With an estimated 15000 intravenous drug users (IDUs) currently residing in Vancouver, and up to an estimated 125000 nationally, the Canadian government has taken a proactive “Harm Reduction” stance allowing the implementation of controversial Needle Exchange Programs (NEPs) throughout most of the country (Weekes & Cumberland). Canada’s first NEP opened in Toronto in 1987, with Vancouver following suit in 1989. While it was still considered an offence to possess drugs under the Canadian Criminal Code, section S.462.2 stated that it was “not an offence […] to distribute needles to prevent the spread of HIV infection” (Weekes & Cumberland). The goal of these early NEPs was to supply IDUs with injection equipment to eliminate the necessity for needle sharing between users, operating on a strict “one for one” model. For each used needle returned, it would be replaced with a new, sterile

Drug abuse is shown to be connected to all different kinds of crime in the United States, and in many circumstances, crime is inspired by drug abuse and addiction. In fact, 80% of criminal offenders abuse drugs or alcohol (National Association of Drug Court Professionals). Also, 60% of those who are arrested test positive for illicit drugs when they are arrested, and 60-80% commit another crime, typically drug-related, after leaving prison (National Association of Drug Court Professionals). And, even after these individuals put in the time in prison that would allow them to go through the uncomfortable process of detoxing, 95% of them will chose to go back to drug abuse after prison (National Association of Drug Court Professionals). Given these overwhelming statistics, it is clear that drug abuse, and repeated or continued drug abuse, are a serious problem facing the criminal justice system.

The following pages contain information on the AIDS and HIV epidemic within the United States prison system. The characteristics of these inmates will be discussed and how well this population adjusts to the environment. There are some treatments and services provided to these inmates in and outside the walls of the prison. The public views are not very friendly, but the criminal justice system is trying to make it easy for the inmates to return back to society with help on how to cope with the disease.

In prisons across the country, there are multiple challenges being faced. One of the challenges that the inmates are facing is AIDS. The inmates are often held in unsanitary conditions in which the HIV virus is spread through the use of needle sharing, sexual contact, tattooing and sharing of razors. America has the highest rates of offenders with AIDS growing at a very alarming rate. As a result, AIDS are the number one cause of death among people who are incarcerated.

Most of the currently operating prison needle exchange programs around the world began with pilot studies and had systematic evaluations of their effects done after one or two years (Meulen & Ka Hon Chu, 2015). The framework of this pilot program is modeled based on these programs that have been successfully used in other countries. This pilot phase will be for a

Drug abuse and crime is not a new concept and the statistics around the problem have continued to rise. According to (Office of Justice Programs, 2011), there were an estimated 1,846,400 state and local arrests for drug abuse in the United States. Additionally, 17 percent of state prisoners and 18 percent of federal inmates said they committed their current offense to obtain money for drugs (Office of Justice Programs, 2011). Based on this information, we can conclude that our criminal justice systems are saturated with drug abusers. The United States has the highest imprisonment rate and about 83 percent of arrests are for possession of illegal drugs (Prisons & Drug Offenders, 2011). Based on these figures, I can conclude that we should be more concerned about solving the drug abusers problems and showing them an alternative lifestyle rather than strict penalty of long term incarceration which will inevitably challenge their ability to be fully functioning citizens after release.