"Double burden": a qualitative study of HIV positive prisoners in Italy.

PURPOSE

This paper aims to consider the influence of imprisonment on the health of prisoners with the HIV virus or AIDS and their perceptions of their quality of life.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: This is a qualitative study involving adult male prisoners in three Italian prisons. A total of 19 individual semi-structured interviews were conducted.

FINDINGS

Life in prison for HIV positive detainees is experienced as a kind of "double burden," due to the connection between the loss of freedom and the limitations imposed by their health status. The experience of being ill and sick in prison results in the prisoner exhibiting fatalism towards the future, having a sense of alienation and marginalisation as well as being afraid of the consequences of living with HIV or AIDS.

SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Prison can be considered as a "total institution" where prisoners are cut off from every role except the negative one of a prisoner deprived of freedom, and this situation greatly contributes to apathy and reinforces the inmates' antisocial behaviour. Originality/value - This paper gives a voice to the needs and views of Italian prisoners who are HIV positive or who have AIDS and presents these in the context of the international situation.