A.I.D.S. Epidemic Feared In. Australian Prisons (Press, 13 January 1988)

On 13 January 1988, A.I.D.S. expert Professor John Dwyer warned that A.I.D.S. could become the leading cause of death among Australian prisoners in five years without immediate intervention to control the spread of the H.I.V. virus within prisons. Professor Dwyer, who leads the medicine school at the University of New South Wales and chaired the National Advisory Council on A.I.D.S. (N.A.C.A.I.D.S.), highlighted that state prison and health authorities had been slow to act on the recommendations provided in a report issued six months earlier. He attributed this lack of action primarily to prison officers' ignorance regarding A.I.D.S. Professor Dwyer urged state Health and Corrective Services Ministers to convene and create a national strategy to address the issue, emphasising the urgent need for action due to the prevalence of needle sharing among intravenous drug users, which has made prisons a breeding ground for the virus. He cited a concerning example from New South Wales’ Long Bay jail, where only 14 needles were available for over 200 intravenous drug users. Ex-prisoners were contributing to the spread of the virus within the heterosexual community, and Professor Dwyer advocated for a humane approach to managing A.I.D.S. within prisons, stressing that it was vital not only for the inmates but also for the protection of the broader community. The N.A.C.A.I.D.S. report proposed several measures, including random urine testing to curb intravenous drug use, as drug use was linked to approximately 90% of A.I.D.S. infections in prisons. Furthermore, Professor Dwyer recommended ending the segregation of infected prisoners, arguing that there were no medical justifications for isolating them based solely on their health condition. Additional recommendations from the N.A.C.A.I.D.S. report included the discreet distribution of condoms to prisoners, the decriminalisation of homosexual activities in Western Australia, Tasmania, and Queensland to promote safer practices, establishment of dedicated facilities for transsexuals, and making appropriate educational resources available for both prisoners and prison staff. The report also suggested appointing specialised A.I.D.S. counsellors within prisons and ending the practice of housing men and women together in A.I.D.S. units, as was occurring in New South Wales at that time. However, there was a lack of consensus within the committee regarding whether blood tests for the virus should be mandated for prisoners.

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