HIV/AIDS Education Needs Assessment: A Comparative Study of Jail and Prison Inmates in Northwest Florida

Abstract

To ascertain HIV/AIDS knowledge levels and the education needs of inmates in four jails and two state prisons in northwest Florida, a needs assessment instrument was administered on-site. Because prison inmates receive HIV/AIDS education at intake, it was hypothesized that this group would have greater knowledge levels than jail inmates. On the whole, knowledge levels were good in both groups, with prison inmates scoring somewhat better than jail inmates. Of the 24 items on the questionnaire, only six questions resulted in statistically significant differences. Of these, three were questions representing high-risk situations, two were low-risk situations, and one represented a no-risk or minimal-risk situation. Item analysis of the questions on which there were lower percentages of correct answers or a somewhat large percentage of not sure responses resulted in the conclusion that HIV/AIDS education needs to focus more on discriminating between differing levels of risk and identifying appropriate behaviors for varying risk levels. Specific recommendations for HIV/AIDS education in jails and prisons are offered.