South Carolina's recent decision to end the segregation of HIV-positive prison inmates leaves Alabama as the last state to continue the practice.
A federal judge in 2012 ordered the Alabama Department of Corrections to end segregating HIV-positive inmates from the general prison population after a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union.
WTVM-TV (http://bit.ly/14RHbkB) reports corrections officials say the case is still in mediation and they're working with the ACLU to resolve the matter.
Marilyn Swyers, executive director of the Unity Wellness Center, says medications to reduce the viral load significantly lower the chances of the virus spreading, and segregating HIV-positive inmates is unnecessary.
In Lee County, HIV-positive inmates are integrated with the rest of the jail population and officials provide treatment if they fall ill.
