Who are the prisoners of today? They are poor, people of color, sick, and disenfranchised," said the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., last month at the National Conference on Correctional Health Care in St. Louis.

There are about two million people today in jails and prisons, and another two million on probation or parole, said Jackson. "Sixty-five percent of those are people of color. One out of 29 adult blacks and one out of 62 adult Hispanics were incarcerated in the nation’s prisons in 1996, compared with one out of 238 adult whites," said Jackson.

Eighty percent of those incarcerated have a history of drug abuse. Jackson blamed the so-called war on drugs for criminalizing drug addiction and flooding correctional institutions with drug offenders.

"Substance abuse has been legislated as criminal behavior when in fact it’s a disease that requires appropriate identification, treatment, and follow-up care," Jackson stressed.

According to the University of California Center for AIDS Prevention, there are more injection drug users in correctional facilities than in drug treatment centers and hospitals, said Jackson. He noted that the majority of drug-addicted inmates have not committed violent crimes.

"They are more sick than mean, but while they are in jail they are further oppressed, left uncared for, have more access to drugs than on the street, and leave jail sicker and return quicker," said Jackson.

Drug addiction and infectious diseases among inmates often go hand in hand. "A Connecticut study found that 70 percent of female injection drug users are HIV positive," said Jackson. In addition, between 1991 and 1996 the number of HIV-infected males in state prisons increased 55 percent, and the number of HIV-infected females increased 84 percent, said Jackson.

The demand for drug addiction treatment, however, far outweighs the supply. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University in New York found in 1996 that 840,000 of the nation’s inmates needed treatment for drug addiction, but only 150,000 inmates received it, according to Jackson.

"Much of the treatment is short term and fails to address the transition from prison to home," he said.

Studies of drug treatment programs show that without aftercare 96 percent of inmates relapsed, said Jackson. "It should not be surprising that this increases recidivism."

CASA estimates that the cost of proven drug treatment programs accompanied by education, job training, and health care would average about $6,500 annually per inmate, said Jackson. However, "for each inmate who successfully completes such treatment and becomes a law-abiding citizen, the annual economic benefit to society, in terms of avoided incarceration and health care costs, salary earned, taxes paid, and contribution to the economy is $68,000, a tenfold return on the investment in the first year," said Jackson.

"When we know treatment works and reduces recidivism, why aren’t we doing more?," asked Jackson. His answer: "Because maintaining the prison-industrial complex is profitable. Towns are fighting to keep prisons and jails open because they are recession proof."

Jackson mentioned that one New York county has 18 correctional facilities compared with two facilities 25 years ago. "It cost $1.5 billion to build the facilities, which generate $452 million annually in payroll and expenditures.

"The economic benefits make it lucrative for politicians to be tough on crime and fuel the public’s fears about the poor, disenfranchised, and drug addicted."

He urged correctional health care workers to partner with his Rainbow/PUSH coalition, which is networking with 1,000 churches to encourage people to get tested for AIDS and seek treatment, if needed.