U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics HIV in Prisons, 2001 January 2004, NCJ 202293 --------------------------------------------------------------- This files is text only without graphics and many of the tables. A Zip archive of the tables in this report in spreadsheet format (.wk1) and the full report including tables and graphics in .pdf format are available from: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/hivp01.htm This report is one in a series. More recent editions may be available. To view a list of all in the series go to http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pubalp2.htm#hivp ---------------------------------------------------------------- By Laura M. Maruschak BJS Statistician ---------------------------------------------------------------- Highlights Number of HIV-infected inmates steadily decreasing since 1999 * Between 2000 and 2001 the number of HIV-positive prisoners decreased about 5%, while the overall prison population grew 1.1% over the same period. * At yearend 2001, 3.2% of all female State prison inmates were HIV positive, compared to 2.0% of males. * During 2001, 28 States reported a decrease in the number of HIV-positive prisoners, and 17 States reported an increase. * New York held nearly a quarter of all inmates (5,500 inmates) known to be HIV positive at yearend 2001. * The Federal system with an increase of 218 HIV-positive inmates reported the largest increase, followed by Georgia (up 212)and Rhode Island (up 58). New York with 500 fewer HIV-positive inmates reported the largest drop. * The overall rate of confirmed AIDS among the prison population (0.49%) was more than 3 times the rate in the U.S. general population (0.14%). Rate of AIDS-related deaths in State prisons increased in 2001 * The number of AIDS-related deaths in State prisons decreased 75% from 1995 to 2001. * Among Federal inmates 22 died from AIDS-related causes, up from 21 in 2000. * During 2001 Florida (39)and Texas (32)reported the most AIDS- related deaths. --------------------------------------------------------------- On December 31, 2001, 2.0% of State prison inmates and 1.2% of Federal prison inmates were known to be infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Correctional authorities reported that 22,627 State inmates and 1,520 Federal inmates were HIV positive. The number known to be HIV positive totaled 24,147, down from 25,333 at yearend 2000. Of those known to be HIV positive in all U.S. prisons at yearend 2001, 5,754 were confirmed AIDS cases, up from 5,696 in 2000. Among State inmates, 0.5% had AIDS; among Federal inmates, 0.4%. During 2001, 256 State prisoners died from AIDS-related causes up from 185 in 2000. Excluding States with incomplete data on AIDS- related deaths in 2000, the total number of AIDS-related deaths in 2001 was 222. This increase was the first since the peak of 1,010 AIDS-related deaths in 1995. In 2001, 8% of State inmate deaths were attributed to AIDS, down from 32% in 1995. Among Federal prisoners 22 died from AIDS-related causes, up 1 from 2000. This report is based on the 2001 National Prisoners Statistics (NPS-1). Data from the NPS were provided by the departments of corrections in 50 States and the District of Columbia and by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Number of HIV-infected prison inmates at yearend 2001, down from 2000 At yearend 2001, 24,147 inmates in State and Federal prisons were known to be infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), down from 25,333 in 2000. Among State prison inmates, 22,627 were known to be HIV positive; among Federal inmates, 1,520. HIV-infected inmates were concentrated in a small number of States. New York (5,500), Florida (2,602), and Texas (2,388) held the largest number of HIV-positive inmates. These three States housed nearly half of all HIV-infected inmates in State prisons in 2001. HIV-positive inmates comprised 2.0% of the State prison population in 2001, down from 2.4% in 1995. In Federal prisons HIV-positive inmates comprised 1.2% in 2001, the highest rate since reporting began in 1991. Overall, the percentage of the total prison population with HIV decreased from 2.0% in 2000 to 1.9% in 2001. Inmates in the Northeast had the highest rate of HIV infection In the Northeast 4.9% of the prison population were known to be HIV positive in 2001, followed by 2.2% in the South, 1.0% in the Midwest, and 0.8% in the West. New York had the highest percentage of inmates known to be HIV positive (8.1%), followed by Rhode Island (4.4`%) and Florida (3.6%). Four States (Vermont, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming) reported 10 or fewer HIV-positive inmates in their prisons. In 2001 every reporting jurisdiction held at least one HIV- positive inmate. --------------------------------------------------------- Nine States reported that fewer than 0.5% of their inmate population were HIV positive. Between 2000 and 2001, 28 States reported a decrease in the number of HIV-positive inmates. The largest decrease was reported in New York -- 5,500 in 2001, down from 6,000 in 2000. Seventeen States and the Federal system reported an increase. The largest increases were reported in the Federal system (up 218), Georgia (212), Rhode Island (58), and New Jersey (33). A greater percentage of females than males with HIV infection On December 31, 2001, 19,868 male inmates and 2,145 female inmates in State prisons were known to be HIV positive. Overall, 1.9% of male inmates and 2.9% of all female inmates were known to be HIV positive. New York reported the largest numbers of male and female HIV-positive inmates (5,030 and 470, respectively). The second largest numbers of HIV-positive male and female inmates were in Florida (2,203 and 399, respectively), followed by Texas (2,169 and 219, respectively). Six States (Maine, Vermont, North Dakota, South Dakota, Hawaii, and Wyoming)reported having no HIV-positive female inmates. Every reporting State had at least one HIV- positive male inmate. In nine States more than 5% of all female inmates were known to be HIV positive. In three States over 10% of all female inmates were known to be HIV positive -- New York (14.9%), Rhode Island (12.1%), and Nevada (12.0%). New York (with 7.8%) was the only State with more than 5% of the male inmates known to be HIV positive. Number of HIV-positive male and female inmates in State prisons declined during 2001 In States that did not provide a breakdown of the number of HIV cases by gender, estimates were made using the data reported from the most recent year. Based on these yearend estimates, the number of HIV-infected females in State prisons decreased from 2,472 to 2,212 in 2001. The number of infected male inmates decreased from 21,894 in 2000 to 20,415 in 2001. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- The estimated numbers of both male and female HIV-positive inmates in State prisons decreased from 1995 to 2001. The percentage of male HIV-positive inmates decreased from 2.3% to 1.9%, as the percentage of female inmates fell from 4.0% in 1995 to 3.1% in 2001. Confirmed AIDS cases in U.S. prisons increased during 2001 At the end of 2001, 5,754 inmates in U.S. prisons had confirmed AIDS, up from 5,696 in 2000. Among those with confirmed AIDS, 5,228 were in State prisons, and 526 were in Federal prisons. Confirmed AIDS cases made up 0.5% of inmates in State prisons and 0.4% of those in Federal prisons. Of those known to be HIV- positive inmates, nearly a quarter had confirmed AIDS. The States with the largest number of confirmed AIDS cases were New York (1,160), Texas (859), and Florida (677). Combined, these States held more than half of all confirmed AIDS cases in State prisons. The Federal system held 526 inmates with confirmed AIDS. Seventeen States reported having fewer than 10 confirmed AIDS cases in their prisons; 4 reported having none. New York (1.7%) reported the highest percentage of confirmed AIDS, followed by Connecticut (1.5%), Rhode Island (1.4%), and Massachusetts (1.2%). In 18 States confirmed AIDS cases comprised 0.1% or less of State inmates. -------------------------------------------------------------- During 2001, 20 States reported a decrease in the number of confirmed AIDS cases. Maryland, with a decrease of 112, had the largest drop in the number of confirmed AIDS cases, followed by Florida (down 91). Seventeen States reported an increase in the number of confirmed AIDS cases, led by Illinois, up from 84 in 2000 to 159 in 2001. Because some States each year did not provide a breakdown of the number of HIV cases by type of HIV infection, estimates of the number of confirmed AIDS cases were made for those States to provide comparable year-to-year data. Based on yearly estimates, the number of confirmed AIDS cases decreased from 6,295 in 2000 to 6,286 in 2001. Rate of confirmed AIDS 3 times higher among prison inmates than U.S. general population In every year since 1991, the rate of confirmed AIDS has been higher among prison inmates than in the general population. At yearend 2001 the rate of confirmed AIDS in State and Federal prisons was more than 3 times higher than in the total U.S. population. About 49 in every 10,000 prison inmates had confirmed AIDS, compared to 14 in 10,000 persons in the U.S. general population. AIDS-related deaths in State prisons dropped 75% from 1995 to 2001 The number of State inmates who died of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, Kaposis's sarcoma, or other AIDS-related diseases peaked in 1995 and steadily decreased until 2001. In 2001 the number of AIDS-related deaths increased for the first time since its peak in 1995. Overall, after 1995 the number of AIDS- related deaths was down 754 from 1,010 in 1995 to 256 in 2001. AIDS-related deaths accounted for nearly 9% of all deaths among State prisoners in 2001,down from 32% in 1995. The introduction of protease inhibitors and combination antiretroviral therapies produced a substantial improvement in the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS care. See Hammett and Harmon, "Medical Treatment and a Continuum of Care" in 1996-1997 Update: HIV/AIDS, STDs and TB in Correctional Facilities (July 1999, NCJ 176344). Among Federal inmates 22 died from AIDS-related causes, up from 21 in 2000. In 2001 for every 100,000 inmates, 14 died from AIDS- related causes. These AIDS-related deaths accounted for more than 7% of all deaths in Federal prison. Number of AIDS-related deaths increased in 2001 The number of AIDS-related deaths increased by 71 from 185 in 2000 to 256 in 2001. Part of this increase can be attributed to Indiana and Texas reporting in 2001, but not in 2000. Excluding these States with incomplete data on AIDS-related deaths for 2000, the total number of AIDS-related deaths for 2001 was 222, an increase of 37 from 185 in 2000. About 1 in 12 deaths in State prisons due to AIDS-related illnesses In 2001 for every 100,000 State inmates, 20 died from AIDS-related causes compared to 15 per 100,000 in 2000. The most AIDS deaths were reported in the South (134), followed by the Northeast (68). Together, these two regions accounted for more than three-quarters of AIDS-related deaths in State prisons. Florida reported the largest number of AIDS-related deaths (39), followed by Texas (32) and New York (28). Twenty-one States reported having no AIDS-related deaths. Relative to the number of inmates, Delaware had the highest rate of AIDS-related deaths (98 per 100,000 inmates), followed by New Jersey (68 per 100,000), Florida (54 per 100,000), Maryland (46 per 100,000),and Colorado (41 per 100,000). The percentage of deaths due to AIDS is more than 2 times higher in the prison population than in the U.S. general population age 15-54. In 2000 about 1 in every 12 prisoner deaths were attributable to AIDS-related causes compared to fewer than 1 in 25 deaths in the general population. Methodology National Prisoner Statistics The National Prisoner Statistics series (NPS-1)includes yearend counts of prisoners by jurisdiction, gender, race, Hispanic origin, and admissions and releases during the year. The series consists of reports from the departments of corrections of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Since 1991 respondents have indicated the circumstances under which inmates are tested for HIV and have provided the number of HIV-infected inmates in their custody. AIDS in the U.S. resident population The number of persons with confirmed AIDS in the U.S. general population (age 13 and over) was derived from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, yearend editions 1995-2001. For each year the number of active AIDS cases in the United States was calculated by subtracting the number of cumulative AIDS deaths for people age 15 or older at yearend from the cumulative number of total AIDS cases for people age 13 or older at yearend as listed in the HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report. The rate of confirmed AIDS cases in the U.S. resident population was calculated by dividing the annual totals for individuals with AIDS by the population estimates for the U.S. resident population of individuals 13 or older prior to 2000 and 15 or older for 2000 and beyond. AIDS-related deaths in the United States The number of AIDS-related deaths for persons age 15-54 was derived from the CDC, HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, yearend editions. Deaths in the U.S. population for persons age 15-54 were taken from the CDC, Monthly Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 42, No. 2(S); Vol. 43, No. 12; Vol. 43, No. 6(S); Vol. 45, No. 3(S); and Vol. 45, No. 11(S); and from CDC, National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 47, No. 9; Vol. 47, No. 25; Vol. 48, No. 11; Vol. 49, No. 8; and Vol. 50, No. 15. AIDS-related deaths as a percentage of all deaths in the U.S. population were calculated by dividing the national estimate of AIDS deaths of persons age 15-54 by the national mortality estimates of persons age 15-54 in a given year. BJS Deaths in Custody Collections In order to implement The Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2000 (PL 106-297), BJS has developed four data collections of death records covering the Nation's criminal justice custodial populations. BJS began collection from local jails in 2000, and added State prisons in 2001, State juvenile correctional agencies in 2002, and State and local law enforcement agencies in 2003. These new collections are conducted on a quarterly basis and provide BJS with individual records for each death. Records include data on the deceased's individual characteristics (e.g., age, gender, race/Hispanic origin), criminal background (e.g., legal status, offenses, time in custody), and the death itself (e.g., cause, time, and location, medical conditions and treatment). As a result, these new collections will provide the public with a richer source of data on such deaths, and on a more frequent basis. -------------------------------------------------------- The Bureau of Justice Statistics is the statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. Lawrence A. Greenfeld is director. BJS Bulletins present the first release of findings from permanent data collection programs such as the National Prisoner Statistics. Laura M. Maruschak wrote this report, under the supervision of Allen J. Beck. Paige M. Harrison provided statistical review. Tom Hester and Tina Dorsey edited the report. Jayne Robinson prepared the report for publication. January 2004, NCJ 202293 -------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------- This report and others from the Bureau of Justice Statistics are available through the Internet: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/ -------------------------------------------------------- End of file 01/06/04 ih