Search Here

Condoms are extremely important for people who are sexually active. This form of contraception is very effective in preventing unwanted pregnancies and many sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Even though condoms are very essential, they are still illegal in prisons where sex is not supposed to occur. Despite the rules against sexual interactions in prison facilities, these acts still happen and are happening without the safety of condoms. Due to the increased risks involved, California legislators are pushing for condoms to be placed in prisons.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the rates of infections, such as STIs, HIV and hepatitis C have been increasing. In California prisons alone, the rate of HIV infections are estimated to be more than doubled the rate in the general population. The researchers from the University of California San Francisco estimated that the HIV rate for prison inmates is 10 times higher than the rate of the population of Californians. Due to the rising numbers of infections that lead to more medical costs and deaths, legislators are trying to pass a bill that will make condoms accessible for inmates.

The Senate approved this bill last week. The survival of the bill now relies on the decision of Governor Jerry Brown. If Brown passes the bill, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation will have until 2015 to provide condoms to five of the state prisons. The legislators plan on expanding the law to encompass all male and female prisons in the future.

Despite the legislators' efforts to reduce the rates of infections, some critics believe that the presence of condoms will encourage sex. These critics also worry that the condoms could be used to help the convicts smuggle illegal items that could be used against guards. Even though these people's worries are reasonable, some prisons from other parts of the country that have started to provide condoms have not reported any issues. So far, Vermont is the only state that provides condoms for all of the state's prisoners. Mississippi will give condoms to married inmates to be used during conjugal visits. New York City and Washington D.C. also have some jails that provide condoms.

The legislators hope that if the bill is passed, California's rising rates of STIs will decrease.