Yet, in adopting it, Australia became a world leader. In a speech to Federal Parliament, she criticised their resistance to giving condoms and establishing drug prevention programmes. However, compulsory testing for HIV infection continues in Australian prisons and condoms are only available at the Remand Centre in the Australian Capital Territory. These men are entitled to the same protection from disease that is available to the rest of the community - the community to which they return on the completion of their sentence. Those with responsibility have to take the same courageous steps in prisons that were earlier taken by politicians of all parties to protect the general Australian community.
Life is precious.
Of course, there are some risks in the strategies which the experts urge. But there are terrible risks of infection and cross-infection if those strategies are not adopted. We have made important progress, in and out of prison. It is usually the case that a society's commitment to respect for basic rights is tested most acutely when the rights at stake are those of unpopular minorities, like prisoners. National AIDS Bulletin , March 1984, 44.