Aids education in new south Wales prisons *

Abstract

Drawing on the results of research evaluating AIDS education in NSW prisons, this article attempts to answer some broader questions facing correctional administrators and AIDS educators in prison. In particular, we examine the incidence of HIV in the NSW prison population, the extent of “high-risk” behaviour, the effect of AIDS education and the notion that prisons are incubators for HIV. We estimated that in early 1989 NSW prisons had an incidence of 1.2% HIV infected, and that 43% of prisoners had engaged in “high-risk” behaviour either inside or outside gaol. The research suggests that the effectiveness of AIDS education programmes has been undermined by a confusion about AIDS policy in prison, and that prisons are not necessarily “incubators” for the virus at the present time. However, the article concludes by saying that clear AIDS education messages with complementary AIDS policy must be implemented in NSW prisons to ensure that the incubator hypothesis does not become a reality in the future.