Testing for Individuals Released from Prison

WHEREAS, the NAACP is the oldest and largest civil rights organization in place, standing on the principals of equal justice, freedom, equality for any and all human beings; and

WHEREAS, in America the AIDS/HIV/Hepatitis-C epidemic has reached record proportions among the African American community and has changed the social conditions for all Americans. Many individuals who are incarcerated will leave prison without realizing they may have already contracted one or more of these ailments; and

WHEREAS, African Americans, and other minorities, suffer, disproportionately where large prison populations are found from a lack of testing for AIDS/HIV/Hepatitis-C and other social diseases before leaving prison; and

WHEREAS, this trend causes devastating effects on minority communities, to include spread of said ailments, loss of life and continuous negative impacts affecting the United States Health Care and Treatment budget; and

WHEREAS, testing is presently free while incarcerated. The reality is that many prisoners do not take advantage of free testing offered within the Correctional system; and

WHEREAS, all government agencies (state & federal) have the duty and responsibility to address such concerns and allocate a fair distribution of funds to promote testing for persons leaving prisons in all state and federal penal institutions within the United States.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the NAACP call for development and implementation of education programs to make the public and prison population aware of the necessity of AIDS/HIV/Hepatitis-C testing of all persons being released from prison; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that these programs shall receive funding to significantly reduce and/or eliminate incidences of AIDS/HIV/Hepatitis-C among the prison population; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that all state and federal penal institutions within the United States establish inmate advisory committees whose mission is to internally educate and support the aforementioned education and testing programs; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that prisoner's right to privacy regarding test results should be protected and test results not disclosed.