ALABAMA FALLS SHORT IN FULFILLING HIV DECREE

Alabama is continuing to fall short in meeting the requirements of a federal court decree to improve health care for HIV-positive inmates.

The agreement requires the Corrections Department to provide a medical doctor and a health care specialist to provide regular treatment for inmates at the

The department must also implement an infection control program to protect inmates from tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.

The court's representative, Dr. Joseph Bick, reported that Limestone has not assigned a medical professional to provide care and that conditions continue to be substandard in violation of the agreement settled last April.

In general, the doctor's report concluded Alabama was failing to meet the "core" requirements of the settlement.

The report said staff mishandled lab samples, which affected the immediacy and quality of treatment, and failed to evaluate some inmates for more than four months.

Prisoners and staff are making medical decisions outside their scope of expertise because there is no medical professional available, the report said.

The settlement forbids prisoners from administering medical care for other prisoners.

An attachment to Dr. Bick's February report documents gaps in medication provision for 192 HIV-positive inmates, according to papers filed by attorneys for Limestone inmates.

Attorneys for the inmates filed a motion with the court for the state to be held in contempt.

The complaint said food and shelter also continues to be inadequate. In some cells, officers have taped plastic over broken windows

Inf.: http://hrw.org/Americas/ pdf0222805/causemotion.pdf.