HIV Risk and Injecting Drug Use: Implications for Rural Jails

Abstract

The Department of Justice estimates that 25% of all state prisoners have injected illegal drugs and that needle use is a major factor in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission among state prison inmates. But little is known regarding the problem in rural jails. Data presented here, based on interviews and questionnaires administered to inmates and staff in Indiana rural county jails, indicate that system management procedures may increase HIV risk to inmates and staff. Formulating policies on HIV risk for rural jails may prove crucial to epidemic management within particular institutions and may be a critical dimension of nationwide transmission patterns.