Introduced on Wednesday, the legislation says that within the next five years, California must distribute condoms in nearly three dozen state prisons.
The reason? Safe sex.
Inmates are more likely to have sexually transmitted infections than the general public, according to The Center for HIV Law and Policy.
Condoms were made available for San Francisco jail inmates since the 1980s due to the HIV/AIDS crisis. The jail gives away about 2000 condoms each month.
Many were against the bill since sex between prisoners is illegal. However, health officials hope the presence of condoms will reduce the spread of STIs and STDs.
“There’s enormous stigma about HIV in the jails, but what we do know is on occasion, someone will report to us that they have actually used condoms while they were in custody. Even though having sex in jail is illegal, it happens,” Kate Monico-Klein, San Francisco Forensics AIDS Project Director, told AFP.
Condoms are available to prisoners in Vermont, where married prisoners are allowed to use them during visits from spouses.
New York and Washington D.C. also provide their inmates with condoms.
San Francisco’s Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi supports free condoms in prisons and jails, saying they should become the law of the land.
“Frankly, it’s unconscionable that for decades in prisons and jails men and women, who have been exposed to and contracted HIV and AIDS, essentially have been neglected when in fact it could have been prevented,” he said.
Others are concerned that condoms could be used to smuggle drugs in or filled with liquids and thrown at prison guards.
