By Alabama Public Radio
Birmingham, AL – State prison officials signed a settlement to a lawsuit yesterday regarding medical treatment given to a group of H-I-V positive inmates at Limestone Correctional Facility.
The treatment was provided by Naphcare, which no longer provides health services to state prisoners. Under terms of the settlement, the Department of Corrections current medical provider, Prison Health Services, is required to hire an additional HIV nurse and allow an independent medical consultant to review the inmates' health care conditions. The settlement was reached after months of negotiations. Prison system officials say treatment of H-I-V inmates prior to the 2002 suit was adequate, but the "cost and risk of continuing litigation was not in the best interest of the state.''