Ohio Jail Refuses HIV Meds To Inmate
by 365Gay.com

Something this house should never do. The people who are running these prisons should be dealt with.

If we are keeping these people alive, especially if we want them to serve a horrid life sentance, should we not be providing them their medication in order to make the suffering last?
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(Columbus, Ohio) A man serving a 10-day jail sentence for driving under the influence is being denied time-sensitive HIV medication in what his mother calls a life-threatening situation.

The prisoner, whose name is being withheld at his request, is serving his time at the Franklin County Correction Center, and despite a letter sent by the American Civil Liberties Union informing administrators at the facility of the inmate's condition and need for the medication, his drugs are being withheld, the ACLU charges.

"This is very serious," said Howard Grossman, M.D., a highly respected HIV expert in New York City. "A lapse in treatment could cause him to become resistant in only a matter of days and then the drugs won't work."

Prior to reporting to the facility to begin his sentence, the inmate contacted the ACLU after he was told by the facility not to bring his medications to the jail. The ACLU sent a letter to the facility on the day the inmate began his sentence, January 14th, notifying the authorities of the inmate's condition and outlining the facility's legal obligations to provide the necessary medical treatment. The ACLU also called the facility and was assured by administrators that the inmate would receive his treatment in a timely manner.

But, the ACLU says that he is still not receiving his medication.

"My son is willing to pay for his crime, but serving a short jail sentence shouldn't be life threatening," said the Columbus man's mother. "My son is alive today only because he has been extremely careful in taking his medications. I'm really afraid of what this interruption will do to his health."

According to a recent survey by the ACLU of HIV service providers around the country, lapses in medical treatment are far too common for inmates in jails and prisons around the country.
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