Schwarzenegger Vetoes Prison Condoms Bill
1334 Not Approved by California Governor
Bill 1334, submitted by state Assemblyperson Sandre Swanson (D-Alameda), would have provided a way for nonprofit organizations to distribute sexual barrier protection devices. The Inmate and Community Public Health and Safety Act would have made it a requirement to do so. The measure was designed to help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases that inmates could pass onto each other.
1334 already passed state legislature this September, passing 21 to 18 in the Senate floor. The bill was sponsored by several health organizations related to AIDS such as the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), AIDS Project Los Angeles, and the Southern California HIV/AIDS Coalition. Despite the sponsorship, the governor rejected the bill but supported a pilot program to begin in one state prison.
Michael Weinstein, President of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, was disappointed. ""While there will be benefits coming from the Governor's proposal to implement a pilot program in one state prison, there are still 32 other institutions in which inmates -- and subsequently their partners at home -- will be exposed to HIV unnecessarily. We cannot waste precious time creating pilot programs to prove the effectiveness of public health measures that have been effective for a quarter of a century."
Programs already exist in major cities across the United States such as Philadelphia, New York, and San Francisco, according to Joseph Terril, the Public Policy Coordinator for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. According to statistics provided by AHF, 69 % of all AIDS cases in California come from four major counties, who in turn make up host 37% of the parolees in California prisons. Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Alameda counties also account for 72 percent of all HIV cases in California. HIV prevalence in prison is eight to 10 times larger than the general population.
Although the bill didn't make it across the governor's desk with approval, Terrill was still grateful for the sponsorship by Swanson. "We thank Assembly Member
Swanson for authoring and carrying AB 1334, but remain saddened by the Governor's veto of this potentially lifesaving bill."
AHF currently provides medical care and/or services to more than 61,000 individuals in 15 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean and Asia.
SOURCE:
PR Newswire/Aids Health Foundation Press Release
URL:
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/10-15-2007/0004682327&EDATE=
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4 Comments
Post a CommentThis is a very touch subject. I had no idea a bill was even being considered in Californina. HIV/AIDS is on the rise and running rampant in prisons. I am not sure that even if condoms were issued prisoners would even use them especially if they don't value their lives. The comments made here are very valid.
Lori and April seem to make some really good points. If homosexual sex isn't supposed to be happening in prison anyway (just like heterosexual sex), then wouldn't giving condoms be like turning a blind eye on the whole situation? But especially like April said, if it's not consensual, the guy who's raping the other guy probably really doesn't care. If it is consensual, well, it's just not supposed to be happening in prison anyway, so how can you find the ones to give condoms to? Anyway, sounds like a pretty weird situation, but it makes a lot of sense to me that he vetoed the bill. Why pay to protect people when they're doing things they're not supposed to be doing?
I agree with Lori. It seems like some form of denial, since who really doesn't believe condoms won't prevent aids, especially if other prison around the country already have access to them? It's the "other stuff" he doesn't believe happens....
After the closing statements about condoms on Boston Legal last week I am thinking about buying stock in them ad making clothing out of them. It seems like more of a denial of what is going on in prison than an actual consideration of the bill. If he signs it he is admitting things that shouldn't be happening are happening and isn't that opening a whole new can of worms?