NCJ Number
217425
Journal
Corrections Compendium Volume: 31 Issue: 5 Dated: September-October 2006 Pages: 35-39,42
Date Published
September 2006
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This study examined the extent to which States' prison-based AIDS education programs have changed since Martin et al. (1995) assessed them through content analysis of program descriptions.
Abstract
The study found that since 1995, prison AIDS education programs have significantly increased their content in the following areas: general knowledge about HIV/AIDS, unlikely routes of transmission, sexual transmission routes, intravenous-drug-use (IDU) transmission routes, and symptoms. Content presentation methods have increased the use of videos, peer presentations, the distribution of written materials, and the use of physicians or nurses as presenters. There have been substantial increases in the number of States that explicitly discuss condom use, distinguish between the risks associated with vaginal and anal sex, and openly encourage IDU avoidance. Substantially more States now indicate they inform inmates about the option of voluntary HIV testing. Also, States have begun addressing postrelease inmate behavior by encouraging them to use condoms during sex and to discuss HIV-related issues with their sex partners. Weaknesses were found in the tailoring of HIV/AIDS education to the cultural, linguistic, and gender inmate differences. Other weaknesses identified were the lack of condom-distribution prison policies and the failure to provide clear instruction on needle cleaning while in prison. The current study used a 31-item survey that was sent to each State Department of Corrections in the summer of 2005; 45 States responded. The survey solicited the following information on HIV/AIDS education programs: substantive content, presentation mode, nature of sources, risk reduction, cultural and linguistic sensitivity, instruction in avoidance of risky behavior after release, and additional information. 4 tables and 2 references