September 8, 2009
Ex-cons pose health risks when released into community
If tens of thousands of inmates are released from state prison over the next two years, they'll bring their HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis infections with them back to their communities, health officials say.
The state prison system's health care delivery is so bad, it was deemed unconstitutional by federal judges, who could find no other fix than to order the reduction of the prison population. But because of cuts to already-slim services for ex-cons, there's no guarantee that the sickest parolees will be much better off on the outside.
"It's almost set for failure to just release people with no resources," said Jessica Flintoft, a policy director for re-entry in San Francisco…
LINK - ContraCostaTimes.com
