The Los Angeles County Sheriff is considering expanding a program that distributes condoms in a unit for gay men at Men’s Central Jail. Currently, an outreach worker from nonprofit Center for Health Justice stops by once a week to give one condom per inmate to the 300 men in that unit. Now they’re considering doubling the number of condoms being distributed. Sheriff Department officials say they spend about $2 million annually on HIV/AIDS medication and identify 65 new cases of HIV each month. “Sex in jails is against the law, but there is a public health issue that needs to be considered,” said spokesperson Steve Whitmore. Keep reading »
