National Minority AIDS Council Call to Action- New HIV rates

There website is here.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Circe J. Gray Le Compte, Director of Communications
National Minority AIDS Council, 1931 13th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Telephone: (202) 234-5120 ext. 309; (202) 352-7240
E-mail: communications@nmac.org
“And all the centuries passed and they survived and became a kind of people that the world had never known. [...]

It took countless deaths, but Georgia finally gets a Mental Health Ombudsman

While on the face of it it is a good sign that Georgia is finally doing something to address this horrible issue, it is outrageous that it takes people dying, a federal investigation and a investigative piece from the AJC to make this happen.
Having an ombudsmen and advocates for the most helpless of our residents [...]

While Georgia burns our politicians play the fiddle

I have not blogged much about the General Assembly or the Guv’nor this year mainly because they have not done ANYTHING worth a damn except play power games within the Republican party. This editorial captures perfectly the issues.
God, it is just great to live in a Red State.
OUR OPINION: STOP pandering on tax cuts and [...]

Alabama and HIV; keeping Georgia out of last place

The arguments against work release for HIV+ are completely bogus and are really a cover for fear and ignorance of HIV. The state of Alabama has been inching along on the issue of HIV and prisoners for years. The state had to be sued to provide the proper care and treatment for HIV+ inmates a [...]

HIV meds withheld from jail inmates

 This unfortunately happens all the time.  Going to take a lawsuit to fix it.

HIV meds withheld at Broward jails, ex-inmates contend
BY HANNAH SAMPSON
Kevin Sauve wrote note after note from the Broward County jail to the jail’s health services over a period of several weeks:“I need HIV meds ASAP.”
“I still have not received my HIV meds. [...]

Maryland Prisons have highest rates of AIDS cases

 They doubled their rate in one year.
Maryland Prisons Have Highest Percentage of AIDS Cases Nationwide, DOJ Report Says   
Prisons in Maryland have the highest percentage of inmates living with AIDS nationwide, according to a study by the Department of Justice, the Baltimore Sun reports. The study is based on statistics from 41 states [...]

The “lock them up and throw away the key” arguement….now for the other side

Even more signs that “tough on crime” does not work.

Aging inmates clogging nation’s prisons
HARDWICK, Ga.
It’s about noon in middle Georgia and the sun is beating down on the yard at Men’s State Prison.
Huddled under a metal canopy that provides a bit of relief are inmates slumped in wheelchairs. Some lean on walkers or canes. Razor [...]

Health Care Cost in Georgia Prisons

Watch out for how our “leaders” try to solve this. Instead of addressing the fact that we are locking up too many people in this state and not providing health care to people before they get to prison, we are going to charge the prisoners co-pays and talk about their complaints are not valid.
Prison officials [...]

Georgia’s private prisons draw protest

I think we need to draw even more attention to this issue as it relates to how we all have been conditioned to think that it is ok to make money off of anything. The health care of all of us is decided based on a profit margin as is now prisoners.
This kind of approach [...]

Georgia continues to fail to protect its most vulnerable citizens

This is just tragic and all of us in Georgia are implicated as we have not forced our leaders to address this long occurring problem.
We are ok with this kind of “justice” because the folks being mistreated, dehumanized and dying are minorities, poor, mentally ill, gay or other classifications of people we either never have [...]

Georgia’s Meth problem fuels overcrowding in Prisons.

We are locking up 250-300 meth addicts a month?
Prison chief: Meth fuels overcrowding
By STEPHEN GURR

James Donald

Georgia’s skyrocketing inmate population can at least partially be blamed on the rise of methamphetamine use, the state’s prison chief said during a Tuesday legislative brunch in Dahlonega.
“Today we are taking between 250 and 300 meth-addicted offenders per month,” Georgia [...]

Meth issues in Georgia

Good article from the Macon paper. Not sure how “accurate” that comment is by the DHR guy. In rural south Georgia there is nothing but a handful of private options. This is a growing issue driving HIV rates across the country.

Addicts quitting meth face severe withdrawals, few treatment options
By Tim Sturrock
For months, the guilt, shame [...]

California tries to pass bill allowing condoms in prisons

Hopefully they can get this passed. Long overdue.

California Senate Passes Measure That Would Provide Prison Inmates With Condoms To Help Reduce Spread of HIV
The California Senate on Thursday voted 21-18 to approve a measure (AB 1334) that would provide prison inmates in the state with condoms in an effort to reduce the spread of [...]

Florida budget – Three ring circus and chain gangs

Is there something in the water of Tallahassee? You have a $ 1 billion dollar deficit and chain gangs, cutting education and social programs is ALL you can do?
Thanks Florida, now living in Georgia is not so bad.
But, here’s hoping our legislators and governor don’t read the papers…….
DOC secretary offers chain gangs, tents to save [...]

Black doctors group wants AIDS tackled

 Great article. Link

Black doctors group wants AIDS tackled
The National Medical Association also seeks universal health care
By Helen Altonn
haltonn@starbulletin.com
The National Medical Association, which represents black physicians, is urging the federal government to use its resources to eradicate HIV/AIDS, says Dr. Albert W. Morris Jr., president.
From 2001 to 2005, nearly 70 percent of newly diagnosed cases of [...]