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Where Do We Go From Here ?
Linking Community Organizing, People Living
with HIV and the Prison Industrial Complex
By: Anne Marie DiCensoPASAN Executive Director
Oct. 17, 2014
Overview of Prison Organizing
In 1991 a network of Activists, AIDS Action Now Members, Organizations & People living with HIV/AIDS came together to discuss HIV & prisons.
This group came up with 40 recommendations for change in decreasing HIV transmission the prison system
Later the group called themselves PASAN
Overview Continued... The first PASAN brief outlined a
comprehensive strategy for HIV prevention, support and advocacy.
The brief was presented to the community, The Ministries of Corrections and Health.
PASAN was established as an activist /prisoner’s health rights network.
The History of PASAN PASAN’s funding started in 1993 with
funding from the City of Toronto AIDS Grants and The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care – the AIDS Bureau
One staff member was assigned the task of implementing the Brief, providing education & support services to HIV positive people in prison for all of Ontario ...
History Continued... ... Needless to say this was an
impossible task.
By 1997 PASAN grew into a collective with 5 staff and a mandate to cover our three main goals – prevention, support & advocacy. We added HCV as part of our cause at this time as well.
History Continued... Today PASAN has 14 staff. Mandate has
changed a little to ensure HCV is encompassed through out.
People in prison include HCV positive, HIV positive, drug users, homeless and people with Mental health – complex issues.
People in prison are: LGBTQ, from the ACB communities, Indigenous people etc.
Key issues prisoners have faced
Harm reduction
Access to meds
Care that is comparable to that available in the community.
What's changed? Prisoners still do not have access to
most Harm Reduction measures. Access to treatment for HIV & HCV
still limited. Litigation may be the only option for
some measures.
Key Issues Facing PASAN As a hybrid organization – we are
service providers and activists which results in...
Less access to funding Less access to community supports Difficulty gaining credibility
Where we go from here? We work better together We need to build solidarity between
populations. We need to remember that we are all
fighting HIV/HCV Back to our roots as AIDS Activists?
Conclusion Prison industrial complex Statistics Populations Forgetting we were activists first. Bridging communities to work
together – a step beyond partnership
THANK YOU!
(collect calls accepted)www.pasan.org
