Nevada's Department of Corrections is changing a series of policies and practices that the U.S. Justice Department says illegally discriminate against prison inmates with the virus that causes AIDS.
The Justice Department concluded last month the state was violating some inmates' civil rights under the policies based largely on outdated, unfounded fears about the transmission of HIV.
State Corrections Director James Dzurenda announced late Wednesday that inmates with HIV no longer will be segregated from the general prison population. He says they also will be provided the same opportunities as others to be assigned to work camps where they can earn credits faster toward early release.
Other changes include new protections intended to keep inmates' HIV status confidential, and new training for inmates and prison workers alike about how HIV is transmitted.
