Impact of AIDS on Criminal Adjudication

• NCJ Number: 108472
• Author(s): J Stewart; D Lumpkins; S Margolis
• Date Published: 1987
• Length: 0 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Justice (NIJ); US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Sale Source: INFOMEDIX
• Publication Type: Conference Material
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: From the Judicial State of the Art Conference, "Presiding in Criminal Court," September 19-23, 1987, Phoenix, AZ. Audio cassette, 70 minutes.

Annotation

Presenters discuss the role of the National Institute of Justice in assisting criminal justice agencies to address AIDS in the criminal justice context, the medical aspects of AIDS, and legal issues stemming from the AIDS epidemic.

Abstract

James Stewart of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) reviews NIJ's role in providing criminal justice agencies up-to-date information on AIDS, based on research by the Centers for Disease Control. NIJ places such information in the context of criminal justice settings to assist administrators in the development of rational policies designed to protect the rights and safety of staff and clients. Dr. Steven Margolis provides medical information on the nature of AIDS, the scope of the epidemic in the United States, testing for AIDS antibodies, how the virus is transmitted, and who is at greatest risk of becoming infected. The central theme of the medical discussion is that AIDS is transmitted only through infected blood, infected fluids transferred in sexual acts, and infected hypodermic needles contacting the blood stream; no other means of transmission have been detected. Donald Lumpkins identifies legal issues stemming from AIDS, notably confidentiality, discrimination against AIDS carriers, mandatory AIDS testing of offenders, and the notification of intimates of those with AIDS. Questions from the audience are included on the tape.