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The Federal Judiciary's Role In The Prevention Of Communicable Diseases In State Prisons , Anthony L. Paccione

Fordham Urban Law Journal

Control over the spread of communicable diseases in prisons is a particularly important goal. The prison setting compounded with the high incidence of disease among entering inmates creates a potent combination for the spread of communicable diseases, such as AIDS and tuberculosis. Insufficient state legislation and unresponsive prison administrators have forced prisoners to seek federal judicial relief. However, federal courts have been reluctant to intervene due to the state interests of federalism and separation of powers. The prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment is not limited to specific acts directed at selected individuals, but is equally applicable to general prison …