Los Angeles’ Gay Prisoners Afforded Right to … Condoms
Ron Osorio, known as “West Hollywood” to Los Angeles County inmates, walks the hallways of Men’s Central Jail every week passing out condoms. So far, he’s handed out 43,655 rubbers since the Center for Health Justice in 2001 convinced the sheriff to begin the program inside the prison. But here’s the rub: Having sex in jail remains illegal. But for folks already locked up, that might not be such a big concern; transmitting HIV and other STDs, however, is. It reminds us of needle exchange programs: Injecting yourself with smack remains illegal, but people will do it anyway, so why not give them tools to keep themselves as healthy as possible?
This is more complicated than acknowledging sex. Condoms can be used in other ways, and the prisons have enough trouble with dangerous contraband. As offensive as this is, within a prison system, the only viable option is serostatus-specific housing, and I don’t know how to do that without further victimizing victims.
Jail is a whole other animal.. I am speaking about long term prison.
@Fitz Any trouble that prisons have with so called ‘dangerous contraband ‘where a condom would be used has to do with substances comingh in not out. Rarely do they grow heroin poppies in jail.
besides only very gulible people don’t realize that much opf imprisonment is related to politial contol , so the prisoners should at least be allowed every measure of safety.
This program is currently going on in COUNTY JAIL (where sentences are pretty short).
There is a pilot condom distribution program at Solano State prison going on and so far there have been no problems.
@Mad Professsah: To my knowledge, the max sentence that is supposed to take place at a county jail is normally 12 months. However, it is also my understanding that because of general prison population in the LA area that sometimes less dangerous offenders are housed there for up to 3 years.
@M Shane: No.. I have actually worked in 3 state prisons (1 just as on-call). Drugs are a serious problem, but more serious are weapons, cell-phones (which are used in exploitative ways). You don’t have to grow poppies to get opiates when the prison guards are selling oxy and HDC.
Your statement that prisons are about political control is just too simple. I agree that most of the people there are treatable drug-dependent adults, but there are a lot of crimes that occur in the course of a dependency.
Most CA prisons have a queer pod, btw.
It’s all about the rapin’. Though…is it ever consensual? Sure, sometimes. STOP THE RAPIN’ MADNESS! Rapey…
Don’t tell Bubba!