ARCS has Jail Services Associates in the Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester county jails who work with inmates to transition to their home or to other facilities.

Transitional Planning

Are you being released with no place to go? Do you need help hooking up with Social Services and medical care? Do you want to make sure you have a way to pay for your medications? If you are HIV-positive and want assistance in transitioning back home, we can help.

The Jail Services Associate will refer you to case management, medical and other support services. The Jail Services Associate will follow up with you after release to ensure you have a smooth transition into the community. If you are going to a state facility, we can provide a referral to HIV services in that facility.

Counseling and Testing

Ask yourself if you've ever...

• Had unprotected sex?
• Shared needles?
• Gotten a tattoo?
• Had a one night stand?
• Had sex while high or intoxicated?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be at risk for an STD and need a test. If you want an HIV test, the Jail Services Associate can provide a risk assessment, an appopriate risk reduction plan, a rapid HIV test (using an oral test, which gives results in only twenty minutes), and a referral to further services if needed.

Individual or Group Education

Do you engage in behavior that might put you at risk for being infected with STDs or HIV? Are you aware that a risky behavior could be as simple as going out drinking and having a one night stand? Do you want someone to talk with you about your risk factors or would you like to be part of an educational group? You may have already put yourself at risk and don't even know it.

The Jail Services Associate can provide you with risk reduction education in either a one-on-one or group setting. The Jail Services Associate will use behavior-based counseling to assess your level for risk and then provide an intervention that is appropriate and addresses areas of risk and harm reduction, treatment adherence, safer sex practices, negotiation skills and communication.

You've been given the options...it's up to you to make the choice!

Contact ARCS' Jail Services Associates by calling the county office nearest you, or, if you're currently in one of the jails we serve, put in a request through medical, nursing staff or a sick call slip.