Fall River, Massachusetts: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 23:35, 25 September 2006

Revision as of 23:38, 25 September 2006

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Along with its neighbor, New Bedford, Fall River has one of the highest rates of [[HIV/AIDS]] infection in the United States that is directly attributed to the use of unsterilized needles that are used to inject illicit drugs, such as [[heroin]]. [http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_hiv_recent_rep.cfm?dr_cat=1&show=yes&dr_DateTime=05-02-05] According to several statistics, only one out of four people who are HIV-positive got infected from an unsterile needle; this accounts for 58 percent of HIV-positive Fall River residents.

Probably not coincidentally, Fall River has one of the highest gang violance and drug abuse rates in the state of Massachusetts, and the vast majority of the crime there is either drug or gang-related. The city has received financial aid from the state to assist its gang and drug-prevention programs on many occasions; however, druggangs and usedrugs continues to be a problem. Fall River also has a lot of residents who are from [[Cape Verde]], which is located just outside sub-Saharan Africa, the area which has the most HIV/AIDS cases worldwide - this may also be a contributing factor.

Two public schools in Fall River has experienced academic difficulties and been deemed underperforming. These schools are Henry Lord Middle School and Kuss Middle School. The school system as whole is also struggling, like those of other large urban communities in Massachusetts, and the entire United States as a whole. However, B.M.C. Durfee High School, the city's only public high school, has shown some satisfactory progress. It was removed from probation and granted full accreditation by the [[NEASC]] in January 2006.