Pros Cons Guide Pasan

PROS & CONS A Guide to Creating Successful Community-Based HIV/AIDS Programs for Prisoners By Rick Lines Prisoners’ HIV/AIDS Support Action Network (PASAN) NOTE TO PDF USERS: When viewing this file on your computer with Acrobat Reader, you may navigate to various sections by clicking on bookmarks to the left of the document. And within chapter-level Tables of Contents, you may navigate by clicking on entries. (This does not apply to the overall Table of Contents at the front.) PROS & CONS A Guide to Creating Successful Community-Based HIV/AIDS Programs for Prisoners by Rick Lines Prisoners’ HIV/AIDS Support Action Network (PASAN) PROS & CONS: A Guide to Creating Successful Community-Based HIV/AIDS Programs for Prisoners Written by Rick Lines Edited by Shannonbrooke Murphy Designed by Eric Mills Translation by Jean Dussault and Garry Bowers Cover art by Hernan Valencia Printed by Transcontinental Printing This publication was produced by Prisoners’ HIV/AIDS Support Action Network (PASAN) with funding from Health Canada under the Canadian Strategy on HIV/AIDS. The opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the official views of Health Canada. All materials are © PASAN, 2002 PASAN 489 College Street, 5th floor Toronto, Ontario M6G 1A5 (416) 920-9567 phone (416) 920-4314 fax [email protected] If you have any comments about this manual, please contact PASAN and/or contact the author, Rick Lines, directly ([email protected]). We are interested in your feedback. DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this book to five people who died fighting, and one who continues to fight for the living. To Michael Smith – anarchist, radical fairy, AIDS activist, and co-founder of PASAN, whose vision and compassion helped lay the foundation. To Billy Bell – who died alone of AIDS in federal prison in 1996, “like a dog in a back kennel,” nineteen days after being denied parole. To Laurence Stocking – father, friend, and tireless activist for health care rights for prisoners, killed by the system in November 1998. To Katie Baird – activist and survivor, whose body left us, but whose spirit walks beside us. To Rodney Bobiwash – Wacoquaakmik, Bear Clan of the Mississagi Nation, Klanbuster, whose leadership, courage, and humor taught me by example. Rodney passed into the spirit world just as this manual was completed. I wish he were here to see it. and To Shannonbrooke Murphy – my partner and comrade, who first brought me into the prisoners’ rights struggle, and without whose support and inspiration this book could not have been written. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rick Lines has been a prisoners’ rights advocate since 1990. From 1993-2000, he was employed at PASAN, initially as Prison Outreach Coordinator, and later as National Programs Coordinator. Rick has published regularly on HIV/AIDS and prisons. In 1999 Rick co- authored the PASAN policy document HIV/AIDS in the Male-to-Female Transsexual and Transgendered Prison Population: A Comprehensive Strategy. In 2002, he authored a major policy document on HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C in Irish prisons, published by the Irish Penal Reform Trust and Merchants Quay Ireland. Rick has spoken on HIV/AIDS and prison issues before many audiences, including the Parliamentary Subcommittee on AIDS (Ottawa), the XI Interna- tional Conference on AIDS (Vancouver), and members of the Presidential Advi- sory Council on HIV/AIDS (Washington, DC). Rick is currently employed as a Drug Strategy Coordinator in the Republic of Ireland, where he continues to be involved in HIV/AIDS and prison work. He plans to return to Canada. Rick holds a Masters Degree in Sociology from York University, Toronto. iv PROS & CONS CONTENTS Preface SECTION I: PREPARATION CHAPTER ONE: Pros and Cons I. How Is Working with Prisoners Different? ......................................... 5 II. Building Relationships – The Foundation of Prison Work .................... 7 Building Relationships Between Yourself and the Prisoners ........................... 7 Building a Relationship Between Your Agency and the Institution/s ............. 8 Building Relationships Between the Prisoners Themselves .......................... 10 III. Advocacy – The Engine of Change..................................................... 11 IV. Conclusion: Moving Forward Together ............................................. 13 “INSIDE” INFORMATION Rhonda’s Story ........................................................................................... 14 Tina’s Story ................................................................................................ 16 CHAPTER TWO: Prisons 101 I. Common Myths and Facts About Prisoners’ Rights and Healthcare.... 22 II. Canadian Prisons: Systems and Structures ........................................ 25 The Correctional Mandate: A Mandate of Care ......................................... 25 Canada’s Prisons: Two Systems, Multiple Challenges ................................. 26 Other Common Structures of the Canadian Prison Environment ................ 29 III. Canadian Prisoner Populations ........................................................ 33 Who Goes to Prison and Why? .................................................................. 33 Prisoners’ Social Responses ........................................................................ 34 IV. Close-up on Prisoner Populations with Special Needs ........................ 39 Drug Using Prisoners (Including Injection Drug Users) ............................... 39 Aboriginal Prisoners ................................................................................... 43 Women Prisoners ....................................................................................... 45 Transsexual and Transgendered Prisoners ................................................... 49 V. Conclusion ........................................................................................ 53 “INSIDE” INFORMATION Charlie’s Story ............................................................................................ 54 Victor’s Story .............................................................................................. 57 v CHAPTER THREE: HIV and Hepatitis C in Prisons I. HIV and Hepatitis C Prevention: Overview of Key Issues ................ 63 Condoms and Lubricants ........................................................................... 63 Needle Exchange ....................................................................................... 65 Bleach ........................................................................................................ 66 Methadone Maintenance Therapy ............................................................. 68 Tattooing ................................................................................................... 70 Anonymous HIV Testing ............................................................................ 71 II. HIV/AIDS Care, Treatment, and Support: Overview of Key Issues ... 73 Confidentiality ........................................................................................... 73 Medical Specialists ..................................................................................... 75 Protease Inhibitors and Other Drug Therapies ............................................ 77 Diet ............................................................................................................ 79 Pain Management Medication ................................................................... 81 Palliative Care ............................................................................................ 83 III. Conclusion ........................................................................................ 85 “INSIDE” INFORMATION My Experience Fighting the HIV Epidemic in Prison ................................... 86 Safer Tattooing – A Prisoner’s Guide .......................................................... 88 SECTION II: PROGRAM PLANNING CHAPTER FOUR: Getting Started I. Making Initial Contacts ................................................................... 96 Making Contact with the Prison ................................................................. 96 Making Contact with the Prisoners ............................................................ 97 II. Making Initial Assessments ............................................................ 100 Identify the Institutional Structure ............................................................ 100 Identify Relevant Institutional Policies and Practices ................................. 101 Familiarize Yourself with Other Available Programs .................................. 101 Consult With Prisoners ............................................................................. 101 III. Making Your Program Proposal ..................................................... 103 Initiating Your Own “Solo” Program ........................................................ 103 “Piggy-Backing” on Existing Programs .................................................... 104 IV. Making Decisions About Individual Counselling Services and Client Visits ............................................................................. 106 The Professional Visit ............................................................................... 106 The Family Visit........................................................................................ 106 vi PROS & CONS V. Making Initial Preparations........................................................... 108 Arrange for

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