AEGiS-06IAC: A consortium of UK voluntary organisations making links between prisons and community support/education groups.

6th International AIDS Conference


San Francisco, California, USA — June 20-23, 1990

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A consortium of UK voluntary organisations making links between prisons and community support/education groups.

Int Conf AIDS 1990 Jun 20-23; 6:346 (abstract no. Th.D.881)
Kelmanson A, Jay M, Gallwey J, Williams B; National AIDS Trust (NAT), London, England

OBJECTIVE: To maximise the involvement of external voluntary groups in educational and support activities related to HIV in the prison system in England and Wales. To engage voluntary organisations not primarily concerned with AIDS, in AIDS projects which need their specialist skills.

METHODS: A series of legal contracts have been made between NAT and a consortium of other agencies, including prisoners welfare (NACRO); AIDS specialist (Terrence Higgins Trust/THT); and drugs agencies (Turning Point/TP, Parole Release Scheme/PRS), under which NACRO has a policy development function, THT provides resources/support, and other agencies employ regional "brokers" whose task is to promote working relationships between local prisons and volunteers and staff from a wide range of other outside agencies. This coordinated team can provide education and support to prisoners at high behavioural risk of HIV infection (in or out of prison) or living with HIV in prisons.

RESULTS: The scheme has had a positive response from the voluntary sector and from an increasing number of individual prisons and the central government.

CONCLUSIONS: The response of the UK prison service to AIDS and HIV has negative elements, including a segregation policy in England and Wales (but not in Scotland) and positive elements including a commitment to education and to involvement of outside agencies in AIDS work. NAT, THT, NACRO, TP and PRS are well placed to maximise those positive elements and build a climate of informed opinion within and outside the prisons to overturn the negative ones.

Keywords: AEGIS, Prisons, Prisoners, Organizations, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV, HIV Infections, Health Education, Policy Making, HIV Seroprevalence, Prejudice, Scotland, Wales, England, education, ICA6KWDaegis,prisons,prisoners,organizations,acquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome,hiv,hivinfections,healtheducation,policymaking,hivseroprevalence,prejudice,scotland,wales,england,education,ica6

900620
ThD881

Copyright © 1990 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.