HIV Testing of Some Inmates to Continue
Ventura County health officials will be allowed to continue testing jail inmates for the virus that causes AIDS in cases where a police officer or jail employee is exposed to a prisoner’s blood or other body fluids.
The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to authorize the tests.
“The ability to test a person to determine if they are infected with HIV can go a long way toward bringing peace of mind” to law enforcement officers, said Chief Deputy Dist. Atty. Kevin J. McGee.
McGee’s office had requested that the tests be continued.
Under a state law that expired in July, county health officials were permitted to test certain prisoners for the human immunodeficiency virus.
When the Legislature failed to renew the law, Dist. Atty. Michael D. Bradbury asked county supervisors for their approval to continue the testing.
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