Casemates prisoners showed they agree overall with her call for AIDS testing.

And she said prison AIDS figures recently released by Health Minister the Hon.

Quinton Edness supported her concern that AIDS is a major problem in Bermuda's prisons.

Mrs. Cooper last month estimated 60 percent of prisoners in Casemates could be HIV positive.

She told the criminal justice review board the estimate was based on the rate of HIV carriers outside of prisons and the percentage of inmates who are drug abusers, "coupled with what happens inside (prisons)''.

She also called for mandatory drug testing at the prison.

But six inmates interviewed this week at the prison in Dockyard called Mrs.

Coopers' comments unfounded and they complained her statement created unnecessary anxiety to relatives and will cause "more discrimination'' against them.

Health Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness strongly rebutted Mrs. Cooper's claims.

He stressed that mandatory AIDS testing violated the inmates' rights and was not necessary because voluntary testing at the prison works well and showed of the 259 inmates three have AIDS and 13 are HIV-infected.

But the prisoners interviewed said Mr. Edness had not effectively answered Mrs. Cooper.

"The incident will continue to go on unless the Minister himself comes out with statistics that effectively put down the impression this woman is creating,'' said one inmate.

And while the inmates were against mandatory AIDS testing, three said they thought their blood should be tested in their required medical examination on entry to the prison.

They said they would like to know if their blood was contaminated, but test results should be confidential.

But Mrs. Cooper, who said she was pleased to see input sought from inmates, yesterday said: "On the whole, the inmates polled seem to share my view that screening for AIDS ought to be part of a physical exam upon admission. I am quite certain that screening can be effective on a mass scale without making testing mandatory.

"Given assurances of anonymity and early treatment, it is clear that most inmates would want to know whether they are infected. The present system does not achieve that. Only a small portion of the inmates are tested.'' Mrs. Cooper agreed with the inmates that Mr. Edness had not offered any data which disputed the high infection rate.

"Indeed, if anything, his figures have served to substantiate my original estimate,'' she said. "One inmate in three has tested positive for the virus upon admission according to the Government figures released.'' While Mrs. Cooper said she was sorry if her comments added to the stigma already faced by prisoners, she denied ever mentioning anything about homosexuality at Casemates.

"Comments related to that subject have been made by the Press and by others but not by me,'' she said. "...The last thing I want to do is further marginalise an already victimised group of people.'' But Mrs. Cooper stressed "AIDS is a serious public health problem in our community. It is several times more prevalent per capita than in North America. The problem will only get worse unless we make stronger efforts toward identification, treatment and counselling.'' Mrs. Cooper also said it was never her intention to debate this issue through the media.

"The Minister's own figures have substantiated my concern as to the magnitude of the problem,'' she said.

"I trust that the Minister will act on my advice and that of the inmates by implementing the kind of comprehensive AIDS screening programme that I have suggested which will address this very serious public health issue while still preserving inmate rights.''