I want to thank CHAMP and all of our Prevention Justice Mobilization Allies for giving me the distinguished honor as the Mistress of Ceremonies of one of the most meaningful events I have ever participated in. We all became a part of history as we formed the Prevention Justice Puzzle outling to the CDC, our health officials and elected officials what a comprehensive HIV prevention plan should look like. I am including the speech I gave at the Rally that outlines the direct correlation of wide spread incarceration and the high incidence of HIV infections in poor communities and communities of color.

Waheedah Shabazz-El,

CHAMP, Community Organizer/Trainer

ACT-UP Philadelphia, Organizer/Spokesperson

"Even though I am been MC’ing this Totally Awesome Unity Rally I have a bit of Light I need to Shine on HIV Prevention and illuminate the detrimental , devastating affects that long term and wide spread incarceration brings about in relation to the continuing inflation of HIV/AIDS in our society. Wide spread incarceration , with mandatory minimums and three strike clauses …..do very little as far as decreasing the rates of crime in our communities……………..What those mandatory minimums and three strikes clause actually do is have a destabilizing affect on of our communities ,,,and offers less and less hope of rejuvenating our communities and of the reunification of families ……..and particularly in communities.

It’s time for our health official, elected officials and the CDC to discontinue driving and leading this country in the dark and keeping us in the dark ages of HIV Prevention. and instead …..Turn their Head Lights on so they can recognize the disparities that exist along the road to HIV/AIDS. We are here today as the Prevention Justice Mobilization to urge our leaders to begin to examine new and innovative ways of approaching Real World HIV Prevention. HIV is not just a disease. HIV is the positive proof of social injustice and social and economic disparities The disparities in prison sentencing for the possession of crack cocaine vs powder cocaine is felt mostly by people of color , poor people. The users and dealers of crack cocaine receive much harsher sentencing than those that use and deal powder cocaine. Their own statistics tell us that HIV/AIDS is 8-10 times greater in prisons than in the general public……..Their own statistics tell us that People of Color are disproportionately affected by HIV. Their own statistics tell us the U.S. currently has the largest documented prison population in the world, over 2.5 million. Their own statistics tell us that communities of color are overly represented in the nations jails and prisons. And not for violent crimes….. but statistics tell us that the prison population has quadrupled since 1980, mostly as a result of mandatory sentences that came about during the "war on drugs. You don’t need a whole lot of intelligence to see and to see clearly the direct correlation of widespread incarceration of communities of color with the highest incidence rates of HIV infection…..in communities of color.?

The disproportionate number of people of color and poor people behind bars also brings about disparities in the political power in these communities. Along with these long prison sentences comes the cessation of their voting privileges. Then upon release they have other forms of disparity awaiting them on the outside and that is the lack of job and educational opportunities, a shortage of affordable housing, and no access to health care.

All of these have been identified by the Prevention Justice Mobilization as the exact disparities that are breeding grounds for HIV/AIDS.

The last thing I want to talk about as far as HIV Prevention and incarceration is the lack of HIV Prevention Resource Tools in our nation’s prisons and jails. In other words Condoms. In order to give people behind bars whether they are male or female the opportunity or even a fighting chance of preventing HIV ……our prison systems should make condoms available as a Scientifically proven method of preventing HIV. The life of a person behind bars is just as valuable as a the life of a person who has the freedom to move about in society. And our health officials and our elected officials are equally responsible for the safety and well being of citizens who are incarcerated.

We are all here today because we believe in Prevention Justice ….and we are calling for an end to the social and economic disparities. Ending the disparities will ultimately bring about an end to AIDS."

www.preventionjustice.org

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_prison_population

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/040206.html

http://www.sentencingproject.org/Admin/Documents/publications/dp_cc_sentencingpolicy.pdf