Infected inmates find hope inside prison

HEFEI－Xiao Yu, 30, was sentenced to 15 years' jail for drug trafficking in November 2016. Infected with HIV, he was sure his life would end behind bars. Xiao, not his real name, was suffering from HIV symptoms such as a constant high fever and diarrhea when he was sent to Feihe Prison in Anhui province.

In 2004, the prison became one of the first in China to designate separate wards for HIV-infected prisoners and offer them medical care.

Xiao was diagnosed long before he was detained, but many prisoners were not aware they had the virus until they were jailed. Guo Tao, a doctor who has worked at the prison for 14 years, said after hearing their diagnosis, many inmates give up treatment for two reasons. First, it was painful to receive antiviral treatment. Second, many prisoners did not believe they could outlive their prison terms.

When he was first imprisoned, Xia thought it was meaningless having treatment in prison "because 15 years was too long for me. I would rather die".

"I tried several ways to refuse physical examination in the cell. There were several times I even spat out the medicine I was given," Xiao said.

To persuade Xiao to change his attitude, prison warders had many talks with him. During one such talk, they noticed that the young man showed great interest in dancing and singing.

Born into a small village in northeastern China, Xiao displayed a talent for dancing at a young age and was admitted to a famous dance academy in Beijing after high school. He was even invited to a Singaporean art school as a one-year exchange student for his excellent performance at college.

"Would you like to join the art troupe?" an officer asked. He was referring to the "red ribbon art troupe", which the prison established to help patients with rehabilitation.

The invitation gave Xiao a sense of hope, and he began receiving medical treatment.

On the eve of World AIDS Day last year, Xiao stepped on stage and performed with more than a dozen inmates a dance he choreographed. He called the dance Rebirth, in recognition of his changed life in prison.

Guo said: "I was moved to tears when I saw their dance. They paid the price by losing their freedom. We didn't give up on them, and they didn't give up on themselves."

Wang Guochun, warden of the prison, said: "Prisoners are also members of society. They come from society and some will return to it sooner or later. They should have the same rights to life and health as everybody else."

Prisons are legally required to set up medical institutions to ensure the sanitary needs and health of prisoners.

At present, 133 HIV-infected prisoners like Xiao are serving their sentences in Feihe Prison. More than 500 prisoners with HIV have been incarcerated in the prison since 2004, with many leaving in good health.

"We have cooperated with several hospitals in the province to conduct telemedicine so that the patients can get timely treatment," Wang said.

Xiao, who is now the leader of the dance troupe, said more inmates were joining. "The number of members has risen from 12 to 29, and we have given over 10 performances so far," he said. He said they worked on a song for World AIDS Day, which fell on Sunday, called Metamorphosis.