U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs

National Institute of Justice
Jeremy Travis, Director

Bureau of Justice Statistics
Jan M. Chaiken, Ph.D., Director

Excerpt from-- 
1996-97 Update: HIV/AIDS, STDs, and TB in Correctional Facilities
A Joint Publication of the National Institute of Justice,
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
and the Bureau of Justice Statistics
NCJ 174437

Note:  The entire publication may be viewed at
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/pubs-sum/176344.htm

Chapter 1
HIV in Prisons and Jails, 1996

Laura M. Maruschak
Bureau of Justice Statistics

Key Findings

HIV-positive State and Federal prison inmates

                          Percent of
                          custody
Year         Number       population

1991         17,551          2.2%
1992         20,651          2.5
1993         21,475          2.4
1994         22,747          2.4
1995         24,256          2.3
1996         24,881          2.3

* At Year-end 1996, 3.5 percent of all female State prison
inmates were HIV-positive, compared to 2.3 percent of male State
prisoners.

HIV-positive prison inmates

                            Percent 
                            of custody
Jurisdiction   Number       population

New York        9,500         13.6%
Florida         2,152          3.4
Texas           1,876          1.4
California      1,136           .8

Note: Based on jurisdictions with more than 1,000 HIV-positive
inmates.

* New York held more than a third of all inmates (9,500 inmates)
known to be HIV positive at Year-end 1996. 

*  Of all HIV-positive prison inmates, 24 percent were confirmed
AIDS cases.  In State prisons, 23 percent of HIV-positive
inmates had AIDS; in Federal prisons, 37 percent.

* The overall rate of confirmed AIDS among the Nation's prison
population (0.54 percent) was about six times the rate in the
U.S. population (0.09 percent).

* Inmates in State prisons and local jails who have been tested
for HIV self-report similar HIV-infection rates:

             Percent HIV positive among--
             Jail inmates   Prison inmates

   All inmates    2.2%       2.2%

Male              2.1%       2.2%
Female            2.4        3.4

White             1.4%       1.4%
Black             2.6        2.8
Hispanic          3.2        2.5

Age  24 or 
younger            .7%        .5%
25-34             2.1        2.3
35-44             3.8        3.1
45 or older       3.0        2.7

Note: From the 1996 Survey of Inmates in Local Jails and the
1997 Survey of Inmates in State Correctional Facilities.

* Jail officials in the last national Census of Jails (conducted
in 1993) reported that 6,711 inmates were known to be HIV
positive and 1,888 had confirmed AIDS.  The infection rate was
highest in the largest jail jurisdictions.

(End Key Findings)

At Year-end 1996, 2.3 percent of all State and Federal prison
inmates were known to be infected with the human immunodeficiency 
virus (HIV).  A total of 24,881 prison inmates were HIV positive 
(947 Federal and 23,934 State).  HIV-positive inmates made up 1.0 
percent of Federal prison inmates and 2.4 percent of State prison 
inmates.  Of those known to be HIV positive in all U.S. prisons, 
5,874 were confirmed AIDS cases, while the remaining 17,656 either 
showed symptoms of HIV infection or were asymptomatic.

In 1996, there were a total of 907 AIDS-related deaths in State
prisons, down from 1,010 in 1995. For every 100,000 State prison
inmates in 1996, 90 died of AIDS-related causes.  Between 1991
and 1996, about 1 in 3 State prison inmate deaths were
attributed to AIDS-related causes.

Data based on personal interviews from the 1997 Survey of
Inmates in State Correctional Facilities show that 75 percent of
State inmates were ever tested for HIV.  Of those who were ever
tested  and reported results, 2.2 percent were HIV positive--2.2
percent of males and 3.4 percent of females.  As reported level
of involvement in prior drug use increased, so did the percent
of HIV-positive inmates--2.3 percent of those who said they had
ever used drugs, 2.7 percent of those who used drugs in the
month before the current offense, 4.6 percent of those who
injected drugs, and 7.7 percent of those who ever shared a
needle were HIV positive.

Data on HIV/AIDS in jails have been collected in the 1993 Census
of Jails and the 1996 Survey of Inmates in Local Jails.  According 
to the 1993 Census of Jails, 1.8 percent of local jail inmates 
were known to be HIV positive.  The larger the size of the jail 
jurisdiction, the greater the percentage of inmates with HIV/AIDS.  

Based on personal interviews conducted from October 1995 through
March 1996 in the Survey of Inmates in Local Jails, almost 6 in
10 inmates reported ever being tested for HIV.  Of those who
were tested and reported results, 2.2 percent reported being HIV
positive.  Among female inmates, 2.4 percent said they were HIV
positive; among male inmates, 2.1 percent.  An estimated 2.3
percent of tested jail inmates who said they had ever used drugs
were HIV positive, as were 2.9 percent who used drugs in the month
before arrest, 4.0 percent who  used a  needle  to inject  drugs, 
and  6.3 percent who ever shared needles. 

Trends in HIV Infection in U.S. Prisons

At Year-end 1996, 24,881 inmates in State and Federal prisons
were known to be infected with the human immunodeficiency virus
(HIV), up from 24,256 at Year-end 1995 (table 2).  In State
prisons, 23,934 inmates were known to be HIV positive, and in
Federal prisons, 947 inmates were HIV positive.  Although the
number of HIV cases increased after 1991, the percent of the
total custody population with HIV remained relatively stable. 
Between 1991 and 1996 the number of HIV-positive inmates grew at
about the same rate as the overall prison population (both
increased by about 42 percent).

HIV-positive inmates comprised 2.3 percent of the State prison
population in 1991 and 2.4 percent in 1996.  In Federal prisons,
HIV-positive inmates comprised 1.0 percent in 1996, unchanged
from 1991.

            Percent of custody population 
            known to be HIV positive

Year           State         Federal

1991            2.3%           1.0%
1992            2.6            1.2
1993            2.6            1.2
1994            2.5            1.1
1995            2.4            0.9
1996            2.4            1.0

Source: BJS, National Prisoner Statistics.   

HIV-infected inmates were concentrated in a small number of
States.  New York and Florida housed the largest number of 
HIV-positive inmates (9,500 and 2,152, respectively).  In 1996,
these two States housed nearly half of all HIV-infected inmates
in State prisons. 

More than half of the State prison inmates known to be HIV
positive were found in the Northeast.  Within the Northeast, 7.5
percent of the prison population were HIV positive, followed by
2.0 percent in the South, 1.1 percent in the Midwest, and 0.8
percent in the West.  New York had the highest percentage of
inmates known to be HIV positive (13.6 percent), followed by
Connecticut (4.6 percent), and Rhode Island (3.9 percent). 
These three States had the highest percentage of HIV-positive
inmates after 1994.

Of the 48 States that reported information on the number of
HIV-positive inmates in 1996, each reported having at least one.
Eight States (Alaska, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, South
Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming) reported 10 or
fewer cases of HIV-positive inmates in their prisons.  Eleven
States reported that fewer than 0.5 percent of their inmate
population were HIV positive.  Between 1995 and 1996 the largest
growth of HIV-positive inmates was reported in Virginia--383 in
1996, up from 134 in 1995.  Other notable increases during 1996
were reported in Michigan (up 149) and Maryland (up 108).

Table 2.  Inmates in custody of State or Federal prison authorities and   
known to be positive for the human immunodeficiency virus, 1994-96

                                                        HIV/AIDS cases as a    
                                                        percent of total                                                     percent of total 
Jurisdiction       Total known to be HIV postitive      custody population/a
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        1994     1995     1996               1994     1995     1996
                       ------------------------            -------------------------
U.S. total/b           22,747   24,256   24,881               2.4%     2.3%    2.3%
Federal                   964      822      947               1.1      0.9     1.0
State                  21,783   23,434   23,934               2.5      2.4     2.4

   Northeast           11,001   12,262   12,090               7.4%     7.8%    7.5%
Connecticut               940      755      690               6.6      5.1     4.6
Maine                       8        4        4               0.5      0.3     0.3
Massachusetts             388      409      393               3.4      3.9     3.6
New Hampshire              26       31       18               1.3      1.5     0.9
New Jersey                770      847      705               3.6      3.7     3.0
New York                8,295    9,500    9,500              12.4     13.9    13.6
Pennsylvania              461      590      652               1.6      1.8     1.9
Rhode Island              113      126      125               3.8      4.4     3.9
Vermont                     0        0        3                 0        0     0.3

   Midwest              1,750    1,667    1,874               1.1%     0.9%    1.0%
Illinois                  600      583      634               1.6      1.5     1.6
Indiana                    --       --       --                --       --      --
Iowa                       25       20       24               0.5      0.3     0.4
Kansas                     20       24       16               0.3      0.3     0.2
Michigan                  384      379      528               0.9      0.9     1.2
Minnesota                  35       46       24               0.8      1.0     0.5
Missouri                  146      173      190               0.8      0.9     0.9
Nebraska                   16       19       17               0.6      0.6     0.5
North Dakota                3        2        3               0.5      0.3     0.4
Ohio                      454      346      343               1.1      0.8     0.7
South Dakota                2        3        4               0.1      0.2     0.2
Wisconsin                  65       72       91               0.6      0.6     0.7

   South                7,440    7,870    8,162               2.0%     1.9%    1.9%
Alabama                   210      222      234               1.1      1.1     1.1
Arkansas                   81       83       77               1.0      1.0     0.9
Delaware                   34      122       --               0.8      2.5      --
District of Columbia       --       --       --                --       --      --
Florida                 1,986    2,193    2,152               3.5      3.4     3.4
Georgia                   884      858      814               2.6      2.5     2.3
Kentucky                   44       41       55               0.5      0.4     0.5
Louisiana                 285      314      347               1.8      1.8     2.0
Maryland                  774      724      832               3.7      3.4     3.8
Mississippi               119      138      135               1.2      1.4     1.3
North Carolina            521      526      589               2.2      1.9     2.0
Oklahoma                  102      115      108               0.8      0.8     0.7
South Carolina            434      380      422               2.5      2.0     2.1
Tennessee                  89      120      131               0.7      0.9     1.0
Texas                   1,584    1,890    1,876               1.6      1.5     1.4
Virginia                  285      134      383               1.4      0.6     1.5
West Virginia               8       10        7               0.4      0.4     0.3

   West                 1,592    1,635    1,808               0.8%     0.8%    0.8%
Alaska                     --        5       10                --      0.2     0.3
Arizona                   143      140      205               0.7      0.7     0.9
California              1,055    1,042    1,136               0.8      0.8     0.8
Colorado                   79       93       94               0.9        1     0.9
Hawaii                     14       12       23               0.5      0.4     0.7
Idaho                      20       11       17               0.8      0.4     0.5
Montana                     7        4        6               0.4      0.2     0.4
Nevada                    122      147      133               1.8      1.9     1.6
New Mexico                 19       24       11               0.5      0.6     0.2
Oregon                     24       29       39               0.3      0.4     0.5
Utah                       48       31       31               1.5      0.8     0.7
Washington                 55       92       99               0.5      0.8     0.8
Wyoming                     6        5        4               0.6      0.4     0.3

--Not reported. 
a/The custody population includes only those inmates housed in a jurisdiction's facilities. 
b/Totals exclude those inmates in jurisdictions that did not report data on HIV/AIDS.  
Counts may differ from previous reports.  Percentages for all years are based on year-end 
custody counts.
Source: BJS National Prisoner Statistics 

Confirmed AIDS Cases in U.S. Prisons

At the end of 1996, 5,874 inmates in U.S. prisons had confirmed
AIDS: 5,521 were State inmates and 353 were Federal inmates
(table 3).  Of the remaining HIV-positive inmates, 1,959 showed
symptoms of AIDS (symptomatic), while 15,697 were HIV positive
but showed no symptoms of AIDS (asymptomatic).

Table 3.  Inmates in custody of State or Federal prison authorities,  by type of HIV infection   or confirmed AIDS, year-end 1996

                          Cases of HIV or confirmed AIDS                                  Confirmed AIDS cases as a percent of --
                          -------------------------------                                 ----------------------------------------
Jurisdiction                Total/a       Asymptomatic/b  Symptomatic/c  Confirmed AIDS      Total HIV cases   Custody population
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       U.S. total           24,881          15,697         1,959         5,874                   23.6%              0.5%
Federal                        947             549            45           353                   37.3               0.4
State                       23,934          15,148         1,914         5,521                   23.1               0.6

   Northeast                12,090           9,109           846         2,135                   17.7%              1.3%
Connecticut                    690             199           252           239                   34.6               1.6
Maine                            4               4             0             0                     **               0.0
Massachusetts                  393              79           148           166                   42.2               1.5
New Hampshire                   18               0            18             0                    0.0               0.0
New Jersey                     705             445            --           260                   36.9               1.1
New York                     9,500           8,005           287         1,208                   12.7               1.7
Pennsylvania                   652             318           112           222                   34.0               0.6
Rhode Island                   125              56            29            40                   32.0               1.2
Vermont                          3               3             0             0                     **               0.0

   Midwest                   1,874           1,017            83           584                   31.2%              0.3%
Illinois                       634             394            42           198                   31.2               0.5
Indiana                         --              --            --            --                     --                --
Iowa                            24              16            --             8                   33.3               0.1
Kansas                          16               9            --             7                   43.8               0.1
Michigan                       528             255            --           273                   51.7               0.6
Minnesota                       24               9             7             8                   33.3               0.2
Missouri                       190              --            --            --                     --                --
Nebraska                        17               9             4             4                   23.5               0.1
North Dakota                     3               3             0             0                     **               0.0
Ohio                           343             279            --            64                   18.7               0.1
South Dakota                     4               0             0             4                     **               0.2
Wisconsin                       91              43            30            18                   19.8               0.1

   South                     8,162           3,960           820         2,221                   27.2%              0.5%
Alabama                        234             176             0            58                   24.8               0.3
Arkansas                        77              20            37            20                   26.0               0.2
Delaware                        --              --            --            --                     --                --
District of Columbia            --              --            --            --                     --                --
Florida                      2,152           1,279            --           873                   40.6               1.4
Georgia                        814              --            --            --                     --                --
Kentucky                        55              36            13             6                   10.9               0.1
Louisiana                      347              --            --            --                     --                --
Maryland                       832             521            37           274                   32.9               1.3
Mississippi                    135             111            --            24                   17.8               0.2
North Carolina                 589              --           390           199                   33.8               0.7
Oklahoma                       108              99            --             9                    8.3               0.1
South Carolina                 422             309            --           113                   26.8               0.6
Tennessee                      131              --            94            37                   28.2               0.3
Texas                        1,876           1,128           249           499                   26.6               0.4
Virginia                       383             275             0           108                   28.2               0.4
West Virginia                    7               6             0             1                     **               ***

   West                      1,808           1,062           165           581                   32.1%              0.3%
Alaska                          10               4             6            --                     **                --
Arizona                        205             171            --            34                   16.6               0.2
California                   1,136             585           122           429                   37.8               0.3
Colorado                        94              77            --            17                   18.1               0.2
Hawaii                          23              17             4             2                    8.7               0.1
Idaho                           17              13             0             4                   23.5               0.1
Montana                          6               2             0             4                     **               0.3
Nevada                         133              94            --            39                   29.3               0.5
New Mexico                      11               9             0             2                   18.2               ***
Oregon                          39              23            12             4                   10.3               ***
Utah                            31              17             0            14                   45.2               0.3
Washington                      99              46            21            32                   32.3               0.3
Wyoming                          4               4             0             0                     **               0.0

Note: Totals and percentages exclude inmates in jurisdictions that did not report data on type of HIV/AIDS infection.  
The custody population includes only inmates housed at the end of 1996.   
**Not calculated for 10 or fewer cases.   
***Less than .05%. 
--Not reported.   
a/Georgia, Louisiana, and Missouri reported the total of HIV-positive cases but not the type of HIV.     
b/Includes all inmates who had tested positive for the HIV antibody but had no HIV-related symptoms.
c/Includes inmates with sumptoms of HIV infection but without a confirmed AIDS diagnosis.
Source: BJS, National Prisoner Statistics.

Confirmed AIDS cases made up 0.5 percent of all inmates in State
and Federal prisons.  Of those inmates known to be HIV positive,
nearly a quarter had confirmed AIDS.

During 1996 the number of confirmed AIDS cases increased by 748.
Overall, after 1991 the number of confirmed AIDS cases
increased by 4,165--an average annual increase of 28.3 percent. 
The number of inmates with lesser or no symptoms of HIV
infection actually decreased in 1996, and the number was below
the numbers reported in every year from 1992 to 1995.  

HIV-positive State and Federal inmates

 Year             Confirmed AIDS cases      Other than confirmed AIDS cases
 1991                  1,682                             15,797
 1992                  2,644                             18,087
 1993                  3,765                             17,773
 1994                  4,849                             17,864
 1995                  5,099                             18,165
 1996                  5,847                             17,656

Note:  Care should be exercised when comparing the number of reported cases
over time.  In January 1993 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
revised the HIV classification system and expanded the surveillance case
definition for AIDS to include specific CD4+ T-lymphocyte criteria and three
additional clinical conditions--pulmonary tuberculosis, recurrent pneumonia,
and invasive cervical cancer.  This explanation resulted in a substantial
increase in the number of reported AIDS cases during 1993.  See Methodology,
pp. 17-19.

The States with the largest number of confirmed AIDS cases were
New York (1,208), Florida (873), Texas (499), and California
(429).  Combined, these States made up 55 percent of all
confirmed AIDS cases in State prisons.  Eighteen States reported
having fewer than 10 confirmed AIDS cases in their prisons.

The highest percentage of the State prison population having
confirmed AIDS was in New York (1.7 percent), followed by
Connecticut (1.6 percent), Massachusetts (1.5 percent), Florida
(1.4 percent), and Maryland (1.3 percent).  In 17 States
confirmed AIDS cases comprised 0.1 percent or fewer of State
inmates.

Comparison to the U.S. Resident Population

At the end of 1996, the rate of confirmed AIDS in State and
Federal prisons was six times higher than in the total U.S.
population.  About 54 in 10,000 prison inmates had confirmed
AIDS, compared to 9 in 10,000 persons in the U.S. population.  

In every year from 1991 to 1996, the rate of confirmed AIDS was
higher among prison inmates than in the general population.  In
1992 the rate of AIDS was 11 times higher for prisoners than the
general population.  In 1993, following a revision of the HIV
classification system and an expansion of the case definition
for AIDS, the rate of confirmed AIDS increased 12 times among
prisoners and doubled in the general population.  After the
adoption of these new measures, the incidence of AIDS grew
somewhat faster in the general population.   At year-end 1996 the
rate of confirmed AIDS was six times higher in prisons than in
the general population.

Percent of population  with confirmed AIDS

Year             U.S. general           Inmates in State prisons
                 population             and  Federal prison
1991                 0.03%                       0.21%
1992                 0.03                        0.33
1993                 0.06                        0.50
1994                 0.07                        0.52
1995                 0.08                        0.51
1996                 0.09                        0.54

Note:  The percent of the general population with confirmed AIDS in each year
may be overestimated due to delays in death reports.  Care should be exercised
when comparing percents over time, because of changes in the case definition
for AIDS.  See Methodology, pp 17-19. 

HIV Infection of Male and Female State
Prison Inmates

At Year-end 1996 there were 21,799 male inmates and 2,135 female
inmates known to be HIV positive (table 4).  Overall, 2.3
percent of male inmates and 3.5 percent of all female inmates
were known to be HIV positive.  The rate of HIV infection in
females was higher than male infection rates in all regions
except the West and in most States.

Table 4.  State prison inmates known to be positive for the human immunodeficiency virus, 
by sex, yearend 1996

                                     Male HIV cases                       Female HIV cases
                          ----------------------------------    ------------------------------------
Jurisdiction              Number      Percent of  population    Number        Percent of  population
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      Total               21,799                 2.3%             2,135                3.5%

   Northeast              10,985                 0.1             1,105                0.1
Connecticut                  581                 4.2               109                9.7
Maine                          4                 0.3                 0                0.0
Massachusetts                327                 3.2                66                9.1
New Hampshire                 15                 0.8                 3                2.1
New Jersey                   614                 2.8                91                9.0
New York                   8,736                13.2               764               20.5
Pennsylvania                 605                 1.8                47                3.2
Rhode Island                 100                 3.3                25               11.7
Vermont                        3                 0.3                 0                  0

   Midwest                 1,741                 1.0%               133               1.3%
Illinois                     583                 1.6                51                2.3
Indiana                       --                  --                --                 --
Iowa                          21                 0.4                 3                0.6
Kansas                        15                 0.2                 1                0.2
Michigan                     498                 1.2                30                1.6
Minnesota                     23                 0.5                 1                0.4
Missouri                     178                 0.9                12                0.8
Nebraska                      17                 0.6                 0                0.0
North Dakota                   2                 0.3                 1                1.8
Ohio                         317                 0.7                26                0.9
South Dakota                   4                 0.2                 0                  0
Wisconsin                     83                 0.7                 8                1.3

   South                   7,375                 1.8%               787               3.0%
Alabama                      217                 1.1                17                1.3
Arkansas                      72                 0.9                 5                0.9
Delaware                      --                  --                --                 --
District of Columbia          --                  --                --                 --
Florida                    1,929                 3.2               223                6.8
Georgia                      734                 2.2                80                3.6
Kentucky                      52                 0.5                 3                0.6
Louisiana                    329                 1.9                18                2.3
Maryland                     763                 3.7                69                6.6
Mississippi                  130                 1.4                 5                0.7
North Carolina               517                 1.9                72                4.0
Oklahoma                      98                 0.7                10                0.8
South Carolina               398                 2.1                24                2.1
Tennessee                    129                 1.0                 2                0.5
Texas                      1,645                 1.3               231                2.3
Virginia                     355                 1.5                28                2.1
West Virginia                  7                 0.3                 0                  0

   West                    1,698                 0.8%               110               0.7%
Alaska                         8                 0.3                 2                1.1
Arizona                      200                 1.0                 5                0.3
California                 1,096                 0.8                40                0.4
Colorado                      86                 0.9                 8                1.0
Hawaii                        23                 0.8                 0                0.0
Idaho                         15                 0.5                 2                0.9
Montana                        6                 0.4                 0                0.0
Nevada                       103                 1.4                30                5.2
New Mexico                    10                 0.2                 1                0.3
Oregon                        35                 0.4                 4                0.7
Utah                          28                 0.7                 3                1.1
Washington                    85                 0.7                14                1.5
Wyoming                        3                 0.2                 1                1.1

--Not reported. 
Source: BJS, National Prisoner Statistics.

Between 1995 and 1996 the number of infected female inmates
decreased 2.2 percent from 2,182 to 2,135; the number of
infected male inmates increased 5.4 percent from 20,690 in 1995
to 21,799 in 1996.  Overall, among State prisoners, the number
of males infected with HIV increased 35 percent, and  the 
number  of  females  infected increased 84 percent between 1991 
and 1996.

                    State prison inmates
        Number of               Percent HIV positive in custody
Year    HIV-positive inmates    population of reporting States 
Males
1991            16,150                     2.2%
1992            18,266                     2.6
1993            18,218                     2.5
1994            19,762                     2.4
1995            20,690                     2.3
1996            21,799                     2.3
Average annual  
change, 1991-96*   6.2%

Females 
1991             1,159                     3.0%
1992             1,598                     4.0
1993             1,796                     4.2
1994             1,953                     3.9
1995             2,182                     4.0
1996             2,135                     3.5
Average annual  
change, 1991-96*  13.0% 

*In 1991 North Carolina, South Dakota, and the District of Columbia did not
report data by gender.  In 1995 Delaware, Indiana, South Carolina, and the
District of Columbia did not report data by gender. 
Source: BJS, National Prisoner Statistics

States in the Northeast reported the largest number of
HIV-positive male and female inmates (10,985 and 1,105,
respectively).  In eight States, more than 5 percent of all
female inmates were known to be HIV positive.  In two States
over 10 percent of all female inmates were known to be HIV
positive--New York (20.5 percent) and Rhode Island (11.7
percent).  New York (13.2 percent) was the only State in which
more than 10 percent of all male inmates were HIV positive.  

Among all States, New York reported the largest number of male
and female HIV-positive inmates (8,736 and 764, respectively). 
The second largest number of HIV-positive male inmates were in
Florida (1,929), followed by Texas (1,645).  The second largest
number of HIV-positive female inmates were in Texas (231),
followed by Florida (223).  Seven States reported no female
HIV-positive inmates, and every State reported at least one male
HIV-positive inmate. 

AIDS-Related Deaths in State Prisons

The number of State inmates who died of Pneumocystis carinii
pneumonia, Kaposi's sarcoma, or other AIDS-related diseases
decreased from 1,010 in 1995 to 907 in 1996 (table 5).  These
AIDS deaths accounted for 29 percent of all deaths among State
prisoners, down from 34 percent in 1995. Beginning in 1991
AIDS-related causes were the second leading cause of death in
State prisons, behind natural causes other than AIDS.   

Table 5.  Number of inmate deaths in State prisons, by cause, 1994-96

                                                       1994                            1995                              1996
                                      ----------------------------     -----------------------------     ----------------------------
 Cause of death                                 Rate of death per                Rate of death per                 Rate of death per            
                                      Number    100,000 inmates       Number     100,000 inmates        Number     100,000 inmates        
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------       
                           
    Total                             2,878            314             3,133            311              3,095            308
 Natural causes other than AIDS       1,393            152             1,569            156              1,715            170
 AIDS                                   955            104             1,010            100                907             90
 Suicide                                155             17               160             16                154             15
 Accident                                33              4                48              5                 43              4
 Execution                               30              3                56              6                 45              4
 By another person                       68              7                86              9                 65              6
 Other/unspecified                      244             27               204             20                166             16

Note:  In 1994 some States did not report complete data on cause of death.  To calculate the rate of death, the number of inmates under State
jurisdiction on June 30 of each year was used as an approximation of the average population exposed to the risk of death during the year. 
Inmates in States that did not report data on inmate deaths  were excluded in 1994. All States reported data on inmate deaths in 1995 and
1996.
Source: BJS, National Prisoner Statistics.

In 1996, for every 100,000 inmates, 90 died from AIDS-related
causes.  Between 1991 and 1995, the number of AIDS-related
deaths in State prisons increased 94 percent; however, in 1996
the number decreased 10 percent from 1995.  With the
introduction of protease inhibitors and combination
antiretroviral therapies, there was appreciable improvement in
the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS care.

The rate of death because of AIDS is about three times higher in
the prison population than in the total U.S. population age
15-54.  Between 1991 and 1996, about 1 in every 3 prisoner
deaths were attributable to AIDS-related causes, compared to
about 1 in 10 deaths in the general population.

AIDS-related deaths accounted for more than half of all inmate
deaths in Connecticut (65 percent), New York (55 percent), New
Jersey (52 percent), and Florida (50 percent) (table 6). 
Seventeen States reported having no AIDS-related deaths, and
five States reported one AIDS-related death.

         AIDS-related deaths as a percent of all deaths
 Year    U.S. general population age 15-54*   State prison inmates
 1991                   10.4%                         28.0%
 1992                   11.7                          35.2
 1993                   11.9                          33.2
 1994                   12.7                          35.1
 1995                   12.4                          34.2
 1996                     --                          29.3

--Not available. 
*See Methodology, p. 18, for source of data.

Table 6.  AIDS-related deaths of sentenced prisoners under State jurisdiction, 1996

                       Deaths from all causes in State prisons                            AIDS-related deaths
                       ---------------------------------------   ------------------------------------------------------
                                        Rate per                                Rate per               As a percent
Jurisdiction                Total       100,000 inmates          Total          100,000 inmates        of all deaths/b
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Total                  3,095            308                   907                90                     0.3

   Northeast                  691            437                   329               208                     0.5
Connecticut                    49            327                    32               213                    65.3
Maine                           3            206                     0                 0                      **
Massachusetts                  30            262                     7                61                    23.3
New Hampshire                   2             97                     0                 0                      **
New Jersey                    142            554                    74               289                    52.1
New York                      330            482                   182               266                    55.2
Pennsylvania                  128            429                    33               111                    25.8
Rhode Island                    7            223                     1                32                      **
Vermont                         0              0                     0                 0                      **

   Midwest                    480            252                    61                41                     0.1
Illinois                       96            254                    32                85                    33.3
Indiana                        39            248                     2                13                     5.1
Iowa                           10            176                     0                 0                      **
Kansas                         20            289                     2                29                    10.0
Michigan                      125            302                    --                --                      --
Minnesota                      10            210                     1                21                      **
Missouri                       37            195                     0                 0                       0
Nebraska                        8            286                     0                 0                      **
North Dakota                    0              0                     0                 0                      **
Ohio                          117            269                    20                46                    17.1
South Dakota                    4            220                     0                 0                      **
Wisconsin                      14            132                     4                38                    28.6

   South                    1,461            327                   447               109                     0.3
Alabama                        89            443                    13                65                    14.6
Arkansas                       23            253                     2                22                     8.7
Delaware                       20            430                     0                 0                     0.0
District of Colum              29            277                    --                --                      --
Florida                       247            398                   124               200                    50.2
Georgia                       114            334                    48               141                    42.1
Kentucky                       30            251                     1                 8                     3.3
Louisiana                      86            346                    20                81                    23.3
Maryland                       48            224                    16                75                    33.3
Mississippi                    32            257                     5                40                    15.6
North Carolina                 74            276                    26                97                    35.1
Oklahoma                       66            375                     4                23                     6.1
South Carolina                 76            390                    27               139                    35.5
Tennessee                      60            402                     8                54                    13.3
Texas                         377            297                   122                96                    32.4
Virginia                       84            308                    31               114                    36.9
West Virginia                   6            246                     0                 0                      **

   West                       463            220                    70                33                     0.2
Alaska                          3             93                     0                 0                      **
Arizona                        61            292                     0                 0                       0
California                    253            192                    49                37                    19.4
Colorado                       22            205                     0                 0                       0
Hawaii                          4            112                     0                 0                      **
Idaho                           3             93                     1                31                      **
Montana                         5            264                     0                 0                      **
Nevada                         35            467                     8               107                    22.9
New Mexico                      4             97                     0                 0                      **
Oregon                         25            333                     2                27                     8.0
Utah                            7            214                     1                31                      **
Washington                     33            289                     9                79                    27.3
Wyoming                         8            612                     0                 0                      **

--Not reported.  
**Not calculated for 10 or fewer deaths.    
a/Based on the number of inmates under State jurisdiction on June 30, 1996.    
b/National and regional totals exclude inmates in jurisdictions that did not report data on cause 
of death.
Source: BJS, National Prisoner Statistics

HIV Prevalence Rates and Testing Policies

Data on HIV prevalence rates are reported in the National
Prisoners Statistics series (NPS) by prison officials.  The
quality of the information reported varied by the testing
policies that a particular State implemented.  Testing policies
ranged from testing all inmates to testing only upon inmate
request. Although 19 States tested either all inmates in custody
or a random selection, and 27 test targeted groups (high-risk
individuals or upon indication or incidence), 5 tested solely
upon inmate request.  Official data represent the minimum number
of individuals known to be HIV positive within a prison facility.

Testing policy                       Number of jurisdictions

All inmates
  (incoming or in custody)                 16
Random                                      3
High-risk groups/upon incident/
indication of need                         27
Inmate request only                         5

Note:  Categories are mutually exclusive; therefore total adds to 51.
Delaware did not report data on testing policies. See chapter 5 for more
detailed data on testing policies.
Source: BJS, National Prisoner Statistics. 

Blinded or "unlinked" studies have been conducted as another
means of determining the HIV prevalence in State prisons.  These
studies are blinded in that the identity of the inmate is not
linked to the result of the HIV test.  An inmate's blood that
has been drawn during a routine physical examination upon
entering a facility is tested for HIV.  The sample is sent to a
lab with no information regarding the inmate.  

Blinded studies may not accurately account for the prevalence
rate of HIV in prisons. Often these studies are conducted in
only a few facilities, and are snapshots, examined over one
period solely on admission cohorts.  Because of this, blinded
studies are limited in that they may not be generalized to the
overall prison population.  Discrepancies are apparent between
HIV prevalence rates reported in official records and those
produced from blinded studies.  

Data from a blinded study conducted in Massachusetts in 1995
suggest that 6.8 percent of incoming inmates are HIV positive,
while official data from 1995 indicate 3.9 percent of all
inmates in custody were HIV positive.  Similarly, data from
blinded studies conducted in Maryland (1991), California (1994),
Illinois (1991), and New Jersey (1991) suggest that official
data underestimate the HIV prevalence rate.  

Official data from New York in 1994 and 1995, however, revealed
higher HIV prevalence rates than data from a 1994-1995 blinded
study.  The blinded study showed that 10 percent of all incoming
inmates were HIV positive, while official data showed that of
all inmates in custody, 12.4 percent in 1994 and 13.9 percent in
1995 were HIV positive.  Similarly, National Prisoner Statistics
(NPS) data from Arkansas (1992) and Washington (1991) suggest a
higher prevalence rate among inmates than data from blinded
studies (0.9 percent compared to 0.6 percent, and 0.5 percent
compared to 0.2 percent).

                                 Percent HIV positive
States                      NPS             Blinded studies/a
Massachusetts (1995)        3.9%                  6.8%
Maryland (1991)             2.5                   8.5
California (1994)           0.8                   2.5
Illinois (1991)             1.0                   4.9
New Jersey (1991)           4.0                   9.5
New York (1994-95)/b       13.2                  10.0
Arkansas (1992)             0.9                   0.6
Washington (1991)/c         0.5                   0.2

a/Data from Illinois, New Jersey, Arkansas, and Washington came from the 1994
Update: HIV/AIDS and STDs in Correctional Facilities.  Data for Massachusetts,
Maryland, California, and New York came from other sources.  (See Methodology,
p. 19, for further detail.)
b/The New York blinded study covered both 1994 and 1995.  The NPS rate for New
York represents an average of the reporting years.
c/No women were tested in the blinded study.

HIV/AIDS Reported in Personal Interviews

Additional information on the prevalence of HIV/AIDS may also be
obtained through personal interviews of prisoners.  Though some
inmates may be reluctant to report that they are HIV positive
and others may not know, surveys provide a means to track HIV
infection among demographic and "high-risk" groups not identified
in official records or blinded studies.

The 1997 Surveys of State and Federal Correctional Facilities
asked inmates if they had ever been tested, if they had been
tested since admission, and whether they were HIV positive. 
Similar questions were asked in the 1996 Survey of Inmates in
Local Jails.  (See Methodology for further detail.)

In 1997, 17,674 (1.7 percent) State prison inmates and 428 (0.5
percent) Federal prison inmates were known to be HIV positive
(table 7).  Of those inmates who reported being tested since
admission to State prison, or to Federal prison, 2.6 percent and
0.7 percent, respectively, reported being HIV positive.

Table 7.  Inmates ever tested or tested since admission for the human
immunodeficiency virus 
and test results

                                     Percent of inmates
                       ------------------------------------------------
Characteristic         Local jails     State prisons    Federal prisons
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

All inmates
   HIV positive             1.2%              1.7%           0.5%

Ever tested                57.2%             74.6%          79.6%
   HIV positive             2.2               2.2            0.6

Tested since admission     17.7%             59.1%          69.7%
   HIV positive             3.9               2.6            0.7

Note: Data are from the 1996 Survey of Inmates in Local Jails and the 1997
Surveys of Inmates in State and Federal  Correctional Facilities.

Among State prisoners, female inmates (3.4 percent) were more
likely than male inmates (2.2 percent) to be HIV positive (table
8).  Black non-Hispanic inmates (2.8 percent) were twice as
likely as white non-Hispanic inmates (1.4 percent) to report
being HIV positive.  

Among male inmates, blacks (2.7 percent) were nearly twice as
likely as whites to be HIV positive.  The rates of HIV infection
among female inmates were not significantly different among
whites (2.3 percent), blacks (3.9 percent), and Hispanics (4.2
percent).

In Federal prisons 0.6 percent of males and of females reported
HIV infection.  Non-Hispanic white inmates reported the lowest
HIV-positive rates (0.3 percent). In both State and Federal
prisons, inmates age 17 to 24 reported the lowest rate of being
HIV positive (0.5 percent and 0.1 percent, respectively).  In
State prisons, inmates age 35 to 44 reported the highest
HIV-positive rate (3.1 percent).  Those State inmates in each
age category over 24 were more likely to be HIV positive than
those who were 24 or younger.  In Federal prisons, inmates age
45 or older reported the highest rate of HIV infection (1.2
percent).

 

HIV-Positive Prison Inmates, by Offense and Prior Drug Use

Those inmates being held on a drug offense in State prisons
reported the highest HIV positive rate (2.9 percent) (table 9). 
Of property offenders, 2.4 percent reported being HIV positive. 
Violent and public-order offenders reported slightly lower rates
(1.9 percent each).  Among Federal prison inmates, 1.0 percent
of violent offenders, property offenders, and public-order
offenders reported being HIV positive as did 0.4 percent of drug
offenders.

The percentage of State and Federal prison inmates reporting
that they were HIV positive varied by level of prior drug use. 
By type of drug use practice, the following percentages of State
prison inmates reported being HIV positive:  never using drugs,
1.7 percent HIV positive; ever used drugs, 2.3 percent; used
drugs in the month before their current offense, 2.7 percent;
used a needle to inject drugs, 4.6 percent; and shared a needle,
7.7 percent HIV positive.  Like State inmates, Federal inmates
who used a needle and shared a needle had a higher rate of HIV
infection than those inmates who reported ever using drugs or
using drugs in the month before their current offense (1.3
percent and 2.1 percent compared to 0.7 percent and 0.3
percent).  Unlike State inmates, Federal inmates using drugs in
the month prior to their current offense reported a lower rate
of HIV infection (0.3 percent) than inmates who reported ever
using drugs (0.7 percent).

HIV  Infection  of Local  Jail Inmates

At midyear 1993, when the last national census of local jails
was conducted, 1.8 percent of the inmates were known to be HIV
positive.  Among jails reporting data, a total of 6,711 inmates
were HIV positive, and 1,888 had confirmed AIDS.  The infection
rate was highest in the largest jail jurisdictions.  Almost 3
percent of the inmates in the Nation's largest jurisdictions
were reported HIV positive.  Among the remaining jurisdictions,
the larger the size, the greater the percentage of inmates with
HIV/AIDS.  In jurisdictions with 500 or more inmates, 1.6
percent of the inmates were infected; in jurisdictions with 250
to 499 inmates, 1.2 percent; and in jurisdictions holding fewer
than 250 inmates, 1 percent or less.

                1993 Census of Jails
                                                  HIV/AIDS as a per-
Size of jurisdiction/a   Number HIV positive/b    cent of jail inmates       
                                            
  Total                        6,711                      1.8%
50 largest                     3,926                      2.9
500 or more                    1,374                      1.6
250-499                          490                      1.2
100-249                          470                      1.0
Fewer than 100                   451                      0.8

a/Based on the average daily population between July 1, 1992, 
and June 30, 1993.
b/Excludes inmates in facilities that did not report data.
Source: HIV in Prisons and Jails, 1993.

HIV Test Results for Local Jail Inmates, by Inmate Characteristic

Detailed data, based on interviews of a national sample of
inmates in local jails, are available from the 1996 Survey of
Inmates in Local Jails.  Conducted between October 1995 and
March 1996, the survey provides national estimates of the number
of jail inmates tested for HIV/AIDS and the percent HIV positive.

In 1996, 6,289 local jail inmates (1.2 percent of all inmates)
were known to be HIV positive (table 7).  An estimated 57
percent of all respondents in the survey said they had ever been
tested for HIV.  Of those who had been tested for HIV, 2.2
percent said they were HIV positive.  Since admission, about 18
percent of inmates had been tested for HIV, and 3.9 percent
reported HIV positive results.  

Among jail inmates, 2.1 percent of males and 2.4 percent of
females said they were HIV positive (table 8).  An estimated 2.6
percent of black inmates, compared to 1.4 percent of white
inmates, said they tested HIV positive.  Among male inmates,
blacks (2.5 percent) were nearly twice as likely as whites (1.3
percent) to report being HIV positive.  Hispanic males had the
highest HIV-positive rate (3.5 percent).  Among female inmates,
although the percentage who reported they were HIV positive was
higher among blacks (3.2 percent) than whites (2.1 percent) and
Hispanics (1.3 percent,) the differences were not statistically
significant.

Inmates age 24 or younger had the lowest HIV-positive rates (0.7
percent), while those 35 to 44 had the highest rates (3.8
percent).  Inmates 25-34 and 45 or older fell in the middle (2.1
percent and 3.0 percent, respectively).  Inmates who had
completed high school were as likely as those who had not
completed high school to say they tested HIV positive (2.3
percent).  

Table 8.  Inmates ever tested for the human immunodeficiency virus and results,  
by selected characteristics

                                                               Inmates ever tested 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                       Local jails                State prisons               Federal prisons
                               -----------------------     ------------------------        -----------------------
                                         Percent                       Percent                        Percent 
Characteristic                 Number    HIV positive       Number     HIV positive        Number     HIV positive
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      All inmates             289,991         2.2%          790,128         2.2%           70,902         0.6%
Sex
   Male                       258,019         2.1%          734,327         2.2%           65,723         0.6%
   Female                      31,972         2.4            55,800         3.4             5,179         0.6

Race/Hispanic origin
   White non-Hispanic         110,023         1.4%          257,919         1.4%           21,128         0.3%
      Male                     98,745         1.3           239,687         1.4            19,565         0.3
      Female                   11,278         2.1            18,232         2.3             1,563         0.3
   Black non-Hispanic         125,259         2.6           384,870         2.8            28,178         0.8
      Male                    110,453         2.5           357,736         2.7            26,387         0.8
      Female                   14,806         3.2            27,135         3.9             1,791         1.3
   Hispanic                    45,759         3.2           123,725         2.5            18,466         0.7
      Male                     40,985         3.5           115,344         2.4            16,892         0.7
      Female                    4,774         1.3             8,382         4.2             1,573           0

Age
   17-24                       81,228         0.7%          154,181         0.5%            5,528         0.1%
   25-34                      116,532         2.1           310,161         2.3            26,262         0.5
   35-44                       70,776         3.8           232,835         3.1            22,228         0.4
   45 or older                 21,455         3.0            92,168         2.7            16,884         1.2
Marital status
   Married                     45,890         1.4%          128,834         1.7%           21,545         0.5%
   Widowed/divorced            48,695         3.0           161,468         2.0            16,331         0.4
   Separated                   25,929         2.1            45,435         2.9             3,884           0
   Never married              169,270         2.1           453,664         2.4            29,045         0.8

Education
   Less than high school      121,589         2.3%          302,437         2.7%           17,226         0.8%
   GED                         45,431         1.3           231,714         1.4            16,389         0.6
   High school or more        122,597         2.3           254,975         2.4            37,237         0.5

Note: Data are from the 1996 Survey of Inmates in Local Jails and the 1997 Surveys of Inmates in State and 
Federal Correctional Facilities.

Percent HIV Positive among Jail Inmates, 
by Offense and Prior Drug Use

Among jail inmates who said they had been tested for HIV/AIDS,
those held for drug offenses were the most likely to be HIV
positive (3.3 percent) (table 9).  Drug offenders were twice as
likely as violent offenders (1.5 percent) to report that they
tested positive for HIV.  Property and public-order offenders
reported somewhat lower rates--2.2 percent and 1.7 percent,
respectively.

The percent of jail inmates reporting that they were HIV
positive varied by level of prior drug use.  An estimated 2.3
percent of inmates who had ever used drugs, 2.9 percent of
inmates who used drugs in the month before their current
offense, 4.0 percent of inmates who said they had used needles
to inject drugs, and 6.3 percent of those who had shared a
needle with someone else reported being HIV positive.

Table 9.  Inmates ever tested for the human immunodeficiency virus and results, by offense and prior drug use

                                                                 Inmates ever tested
                                 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
                                       Local jails                State prisons                Federal prisons
                                 ----------------------      ------------------------      -----------------------
                                          Percent                       Percent                      Percent 
Characteristic                  Number    HIV positive       Number     HIV positive       Number    HIV positive
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current offense
   Violent                       72,846        1.5%           360,370        1.9%           10,681        1.0%
   Property                      79,936        2.2            178,601        2.4             4,660        1.0
   Drug                          65,780        3.3            164,256        2.9            43,815        0.4
   Public-order                  64,820        1.7             77,049        1.9            10,029        1.0

Prior drug use
   Never                         42,242        1.6%           123,049        1.7%           18,917        0.3%
   Ever                         247,233        2.3            665,977        2.3            51,847        0.7
   In the month before offense  106,907        2.9            460,685        2.7            32,113        0.3
   Used needle to inject drugs   61,862        4.0            168,446        4.6             9,443        1.3
      Ever shared a needle       25,476        6.3             74,393        7.7             4,022        2.1

Note: Data are from the 1996 Survey of Inmates in Local Jails and the 1997 Surveys of Inmates in State and Federal 
Correctional Facilities. 

Methodology

National Prisoner Statistics

The National Prisoner Statistics series (NPS) includes an annual
Year-end count of prisoners by jurisdiction, sex, race, Hispanic
origin, and admissions and releases during the year.  The series
consists of yearly reports to the Bureau of Justice Statistics
from the departments of corrections of the 50 States and the
District of Columbia and from the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Since 1991 respondents have been asked to indicate their
policies for testing for HIV and to provide the number of
HIV-infected inmates in their custody on the last day of the
calendar year.

Surveys of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities,
1997

The 1997 Surveys of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional
Facilities were conducted for the Bureau of Justice Statistics
by the U.S. Bureau of the Census.  The Federal Bureau of Prisons
cosponsored the Survey of Inmates in Federal Correctional
Facilities.  Personal interviews were conducted from June 1997
through October 1997.  Information was collected about
individual characteristics of prison inmates, current and prior
offenses and sentences, criminal histories, characteristics of
the current offense, family background, prior drug and alcohol
use and treatment, and conditions of confinement.  

The sample for the Federal inmates survey was selected from a
universe of 135 Federal prisons holding sentenced inmates.  For
State inmates the sample came from 1,453 State prisons counted
in the 1995 Census of State Correctional Facilities performed on
June 30, 1995, with prisons opening between the census and June
30, 1996, added.  The overall response rate in the State survey
was 92.5 percent.  Similar surveys of State prison inmates were
conducted in 1974, 1979, 1986, and 1991.  The first survey of
Federal inmates was done in 1991.

Census of Jails, 1993

The 1993 Census of Jails included all locally administered
confinement facilities (3,287) that held inmates beyond
arraignment and were staffed by municipal or county employees. 
The census also included 17 jails that were privately operated
under contract for local governments.

Excluded from the census were temporary holding facilities, such
as drunk tanks and police lockups, that do not hold persons
after being formally charged in court (usually with in 72 hours
of arrest).  Also excluded were State-operated facilities in
Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and
Vermont, which have combined jail-prison systems.

Survey of Inmates in Local Jails, 1996

The 1996 Survey of Inmates in Local Jails was conducted for BJS
by the U.S. Bureau of the Census.  Through personal interviews
conducted from October 1995 through March 1996, data were
collected on individual characteristics of jail inmates, current
offenses, sentences and time served, criminal histories, jail
activities, conditions and programs, prior drug and alcohol use
and treatment, and health care services provided while in jail. 
The sample for the 1996 survey was selected from a universe of
3,328 jails that were enumerated from the 1993 Census of Jails. 
The total nonresponse was 13.7 percent.  Similar surveys of jail
inmates were conducted in 1972, 1978, 1983, and 1989.  

Accuracy of the Survey Estimates

The accuracy of the estimates from the 1996 Survey of Inmates in
Local Jails and the 1997 Surveys of Inmates in State and Federal
Correctional Facilities depends on two types of error:  sampling
and nonsampling.  Sampling error is variation that may occur by
chance because a sample rather than a complete enumeration of
the population was conducted.  Nonsampling error can be
attributed to many sources, such as nonresponse, differences in
the interpretation of questions among inmates, recall
difficulties, and processing errors.  In any survey the full
extent of the nonsampling error is never known.

The sampling error, as measured by an estimated standard error,
varies by the size of the estimate and the size of the base
population.  Estimates for the percentage of inmates ever tested
for HIV and the percentage who tested HIV positive have been
calculated (see table 10).  These standard errors may be used to
construct confidence intervals around percentages.  For example,
the 95-percent confidence interval around the percentage of males
in local jails who were HIV positive is approximately 2.1
percent plus or minus 1.96 times 0.33 percent (or 1.5 percent to
2.7 percent).

These standard errors may also be used to test the statistical
significance of the difference between two sample estimates by
pooling the standard errors of the estimates (that is, by taking
the square root of the sum of the squared standard errors for
each sample estimate).  All comparisons discussed in this report
were statistically significant at the 95-percent confidence level.

AIDS in the U.S. Resident Population

The number of persons with confirmed AIDS in the U.S. general
population (age 13 and over) was derived from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HIV/AIDS Surveillance
Report, Year-end editions 1991-1996.  For each year the number of
active AIDS cases in the United States was calculated by
subtracting the number of cumulative AIDS deaths for people age
15 and older at Year-end from the cumulative number of total AIDS
cases for people age 13 and older at Year-end as listed in the
HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report.

The data for the U.S. general population, excluding persons
under age 13, from 1991 to 1996 were taken from the U.S.
Population Estimates, by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin:
1990 to 1995, PPL-41, and the update for 1996.

The rate of confirmed AIDS cases in the U.S. resident population
was calculated by dividing the annual totals for individuals
with AIDS by the population estimates for the U.S. resident
population of individuals 13 and older.

The classification system for HIV infection and the case
definition for AIDS were expanded in 1993.  This expansion
improved estimates of the number and the characteristics of
persons with HIV disease, but complicated interpretation of AIDS
trends.  The increase in reported AIDS cases in 1993 was largely
the consequence of the added surveillance criteria.  (See CDC,
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Vol. 43, No. 45, November
18,1994.)

AIDS-Related Deaths in the United States

The number of AIDS-related deaths for persons age 15-54 was
derived from the CDC, HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, Year-end
editions.  Deaths in the U.S. population for persons age 15-54
were taken from the CDC, Monthly Vital Statistics Report, Vol.
42, No. 2(S); Vol. 43, No. 12; Vol. 43, No. 6(S); Vol. 45, No.
3(S); and Vol. 45, No. 11(S).

AIDS-related deaths as a percentage of all deaths in the U.S.
population were calculated by dividing the national estimate of
AIDS deaths of persons age 15-54 by the national mortality
estimates of persons age 15-54 in a given year.  

Table 10.  Standard error estimates for the 1996 Survey of Inmates in Local Jails and the 1997 Surveys 
of State and Federal Correctional Facilities

                                Estimated standard error of the percent who were HIV positive
                                -------------------------------------------------------------
Characteristics                 Local jails      State prisons      Federal prisons
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sex
  Male                              0.33%             0.20%               0.19%
  Female                            0.44              0.44                0.35

Race/Hispanic origin
  White non-Hispanic                0.38%             0.29%               0.31%
    Male                            0.41              0.31                0.33
    Female                          0.68              0.80                0.63
  Black non-Hispanic                0.47              0.37                0.48
    Male                            0.53              0.38                0.51
    Female                          0.74              0.72                1.15
  Hispanic                          0.98              0.58                0.52
    Male                            1.09              0.61                0.56
    Female                          0.76              1.67                0.00

Age
  Under 24                          0.30%             0.20%               0.27%
  25-34                             0.42              0.30                0.27
  35-44                             0.85              0.40                0.26
  45 or older                       1.13              0.60                0.52

Marital Status
  Married                           0.58%             0.40%               0.30%
  Widowed/divorced                  0.88              0.39                0.31
  Separated                         0.97              0.88                   0
  Never married                     0.38              0.25                0.33

Education
  Less than high school             0.47%             0.33%               0.42%
  GED                               0.46              0.27                0.38
  High school graduate or more      0.49              0.34                0.23

Current Offense
  Violent                           0.49%             0.25%               0.60%
  Property                          0.52              0.40                0.91
  Drug                              0.79              0.46                0.19
  Public-order                      0.66              0.55                0.62

Prior drug use
  Never used                        0.62%             0.41%               0.25%
  Ever used                         0.33              0.21                0.23
    Used month before offense       0.58              0.27                0.19
    Used needle to inject drugs     0.85              0.57                0.73
      Shared a needle               1.71              1.09                1.41

HIV Prevalence Rates from Blinded Studies 

Data from blinded studies on HIV prevalence rates in
Massachusetts, Maryland, California, and New York were gathered
from several sources:

B. Werner et al., "Drop in HIV Seroprevalence among Men and
Women Entering Massachusetts Prisons," Abstract No. 115,
presented at the Third Conference on Retroviruses and
Opportunistic Infections, Washington, D.C.,  January 28-February
1, 1996.

C. Behrendt et al., "Voluntary Testing for HIV in a Prison
Population with a High Prevalence of HIV." American Journal of
Epidemiology, 139 (1994) pp. 918-26.

J. Ruiz and J. Mikanda, Seroprevalence of HIV, Hepatitis B,
Hepatitis C, and Risk Behaviors among Inmates Entering the
California Correctional System (Sacramento:  California
Department of Health Services, Office of AIDS, HIV/AIDS
Epidemiology Branch, March 1996). 

J. Mikl et al., "Trends in HIV Infection Rates among New York
State Prison Inmates, 1987-1997," Poster abstract Number 23516,
presented at the 12th World Congress on AIDS, Geneva, June 30,
1997.

(End of file)
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