HIV/AIDS in correctional settings: a salient priority for the CDC and HRSA

Correctional facilities constitute an excellent opportunity to provide treatment, care, and prevention services for a population that may not otherwise access these services. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) recognize the public health importance of correctional settings and have begun to develop formal strategies to address the HIV/AIDS-relevant needs of incarcerated individuals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and HRSA have implemented policies, activities, and strategic plans to reduce the HIV/AIDS disease burden among the high-risk populations that pass through the nation's prisons and jails. They have also collaborated to address the HIV/AIDS needs of incarcerated populations and have initiated processes for expanding collaboration on these issues to include other federal agencies and prevention partners.