August 13, 2001

Clinton calls for increased AIDS services for prisoners

from the ADVOCATE

Former president Bill Clinton, speaking Wednesday at the annual Rainbow/PUSH Coalition convention in Chicago, called for increased HIV prevention, testing, and treatment for U.S. prisoners, the Chicago Tribune reports. 

Clinton, who has said the global battle against AIDS will be a major part of his post-presidency work, said prisons serve as "incubators" for drug addiction and AIDS. "The AIDS rates would go down and other good things would happen if we didn't send so many people to jail for so long who do not present a physical threat," he said. 

On Tuesday the Rev. Jesse Jackson, founder and president of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, and several other ministers took HIV tests at the Cook County, Ill., jail to inspire inmates to do the same.

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