Prisons Segregate Some Inmates Who Test Positive for AIDS

The Bureau of Prisons will immediately begin segregating federal inmates displaying “predatory or promiscuous behavior” who test positive for the AIDS virus, the Justice Department announced Friday.

The announcement was made simultaneously with the release of statistics showing that nearly 500 prison inmates, about 3% of those tested under a pilot program in the federal prison system, have tested positive for exposure to the AIDS virus.

As of this week, 16,372 federal prisoners had been tested for the AIDS virus under a program that began June 15. Of that number 494, or 3%, testified positive, the government reported. There currently are 31 active cases of AIDS in the federal prison system, out of a population of more than 44,000.

Inmates who are segregated will be housed in single-person cells and will eat, work and have recreational activities apart from the prison’s general population, said Patricia Sledge, a Bureau of Prisons spokeswoman.

Sexually active inmates will be included in a new mandatory AIDS-testing program, the Bureau of Prisons said. Other inmates in the program will include those who are within 60 days of their release, exhibit any clinical indications of the virus or request to be tested.