A former inmate is doing his part to help other HIV-positive prisoners get the care they need behind bars

BY CHRISTOPHER LISOTTA

As the special projects director and community coordinator for the nonprofit organization Center for Health Justice, Ron Snyder advocates for the rights of HIV-positive inmates. It's a subject he understands well, since he learned about the pitfalls of being positive while incarcerated after he served a 19-month sentence for embezzlement.

FRONTIERS: How did you start working in this field?

RON SNYDER: In 2000, I was incarcerated and HIV positive. The way they had us segregated in prison, we were kept in our own yard, but we were separated by a chain-link fence. So anyone who came on the yard knew you were HIV positive, and I just knew that was wrong. I was classified when I went in as minimum security, but I ended up at a medium security facility, because your HIV status is a medical condition that overrides your security issue.

How would you say the California prison system treats HIV-positive inmates?

It seems to be getting a little better, but it's still not even close to where it should be.

An example?

One of the things is when you come into the system, everybody goes to a reception yard and is held there until they are placed into a regular facility. HIV-positive people are limited to where they can go to, so they are actually held at the reception yard longer, which makes it more difficult for you to get your good-time credits. As long as you're in reception, that means no good-time credits. Good-time credits means less time served.

What are you doing now?

We're working with California Department of Corrections on bill A.B. 1334 that [Gov. Arnold] Schwarzenegger just vetoed. He vetoed condoms to go into California prisons, but he attached a note to it to try and do a pilot program in one of the prisons to see if it would actually work. And we have been in talks with the prison system on implementing the pilot program into one of the facilities to get condoms inside California prisons.

Did you feel ostracized or targeted by other inmates because you were HIV positive?

I didn't because I didn't belong to any group on the outside. But there were guys in our yard that were in what you'd consider gangs on the outside. And they wouldn't even go out on our yard because they were afraid of being seen by their homeboys. Everybody would know before they got home that they were HIV positive.

How violent is it? What was your day-to-day like?

My first couple weeks I was scared to death what was going to happen. And then after that it was like, as long as you mind your own business everybody leaves you alone. To me it was not that scary after you got used to it. You don't see anything that goes on, you don't pay attention to anyone else. As long as you do your own time, you're OK.

Were you able to get the meds you needed?

Fortunately, I was not on any, what they call, psych meds or any controlled meds. So I got two weeks worth of meds at a time that I kept in my cell, so I could regulate my own meds. But if you're on any controlled meds or psych meds, you have to go to “pill call,” which is fine if the prison is running normal. If anytime there was a fight, the prison goes on lockdown so you won't get your meds at all, or you get them 24 hours late. It is very difficult to consistently get your meds.

How was the medical care in general?

I was in two different prisons, and the prisons I was at actually had an HIV specialist—and he was very good. The problem was, the communication from the medical to the general staff was very lacking. In there, you get what's called “double ups.” Your meals are increased, you get larger portions. Part of the time you would get them, part of the time you wouldn't. It was a 50/50 shot to get a meal to go with your meds.

When you came out, was your general health good or did it decline?

My own personal health was the same as when I came in. But I filed grievances, and toward the end of the last 90 days, they make sure and take care of you so that you come out looking like you're healthy.

What has it been like transitioning back to life on the outside?

I was always in retail before, but when I came out after I knew what went on on the inside, it was like, I've got to try and help make changes. There were just way too many things that were wrong when you were in somebody else's complete control. It should be a smooth system, but it is total chaos sometimes.