Provides the number of HIV-positive and active AIDS cases among state and federal prisoners at yearend 2003. This annual bulletin reports the number of AIDS-related deaths in prisons, a profile of those inmates who died, the number of female and male prisoners who were HIV-positive, and a comparison of AIDS rates for the general and prisoner populations. Historical data on AIDS cases are presented from 1998 and on AIDS deaths from 1995.

• Between 2002 and 2003 the number of HIV-positive prisoners decreased less than 1%, while the overall prison population grew 1.6% during the same period.
• At yearend 2003, 2.8% of all female state prison inmates were HIV positive, compared to 1.9% of males
• In 2003, 282 prisoners died from AIDS-related causes -- 268 state inmates and 14 federal inmates.