Apparently, a Local Prison [in Vacavilla is] To Provide Condoms To Inmates even though sex between inmates is supposedly illegal. Of course, everyone knows same-sex sex happens in prison all the time, and it is usually prison rape, not consensual sex.
So what’s the point exactly? Sure, HIV is spreading widely (five to seven times the rate the outside-of-prison population has, according to the article), but are prison rapists really going to say, “Yeah, I’m beating you up and raping you, but hold on a second—I want to get some lube and put on a condom to make sure I don’t infect you with HIV”? I highly doubt it.
The only way to stop prison rape is for prison administrations to really crack down on prison rape and punish severely those who rape other prisoners. If you stop prison rape, the only people who’ll be having sex in prison are the actual gay prisoners (a relatively small percentage of the prisoners currently having same-sex sex, since some men seem to believe that sticking their penises in another man’s ass or mouth is heterosexual but receiving by force another man’s penis is being homosexual).
Maybe some prison administrators and lawmakers should read the Human Rights Watch report on prison rape.
obviously there’s a bigger issue, but you can’t possibly think that having the condoms is a bad idea. Even if it prevents a single case of HIV per year, I’d consider that a worthwhile program. If nothing else, administrations may be able to scare the rapists by letting them know that it’s a two way street, i.e. if their victims are HIV+, they’re risking their own lives.
No, I think it is ultimately not a bad thing. I just don’t think most prison rapists will use condoms, especially since it’s admission of guilt (the article seems to indicate it’s illegal to have even consensual sex in prison).