November 1 - 6, 2020 - NEWS FOR PRISONER FAMILIES
More than 2,000 New Jersey inmates released to slow spread of coronavirus in prisons
More than 2,000 inmates in New Jersey were released in an attempt to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus in the state’s prison system — almost a month after the state passed one of the first bills in the U.S. to reduce sentences because of the pandemic. Liz Velez, a New Jersey Department of Corrections spokesperson, told NBC News in an email that 2,261 adults nearing the end of their prison sentences were released early Wednesday amid rising coronavirus cases in some state prisons.e than 2,000 New Jersey inmates released to slow spread of coronavirus in prisons.
El Paso County jail sets state record for largest COVID-19 outbreak among inmates, with 690 sickened
Nearly 700 El Paso County jail inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, the sheriff's office announced Tuesday, making Colorado Springs home to the state’s largest outbreak among inmates since the pandemic started. The fast-spreading virus has infected 690 inmates out of 1,229 in custody, marking a nearly tenfold increase in five days and surpassing all other outbreaks in penal institutions reported by state public health officials, data show.
COVID-19 outbreak at Maine Correctional Center grows to 81 confirmed cases
The COVID-19 outbreak at the Maine Correctional Center in Windham has grown to 81 confirmed cases, the state Department of Corrections said Tuesday.
The department said 72 inmates and nine staff members have tested positive using rapid antigen tests.
New COVID-19 outbreak reported at Goose Creek Correctional Center, Alaska’s largest prison
Alaska’s largest prison is now home to the latest outbreak of the coronavirus in the state’s correctional system. Twenty-two inmates and five staff at Goose Creek Correctional Center near Wasilla have tested positive for COVID-19, according to Sarah Gallagher, a spokeswoman for the Alaska Department of Corrections.
COVID-19 Cases Among Hawaii Inmates In Arizona Now At 378
COVID-19 Cases Among Hawaii Inmates In Arizona Now At 378
Mass testing of Hawaii convicts who are serving their sentences in a privately run Arizona prison has identified 317 new cases of COVID-19, according to a written announcement from the state Department of Public Safety.
https://www.civilbeat.org/2020/11/covid-19-cases-among-hawaii-inmates-in-arizona-now-at-378/
79th California prison inmate dies of COVID-19
An inmate at a central California prison died of complications from the coronavirus Saturday, authorities said, becoming the state’s 79th person to have a fatal case of COVID-19 while they were incarcerated. There have been 15,872 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the state prison system, according to online statistics. The virus has killed more than 17,500 Californians and infected more than 900,000.
Dozens Of Prisoners At MCI-Norfolk Have Tested Positive For COVID-19
Prison officials say coronavirus testing continues at MCI-Norfolk after an outbreak at the prison last week. Prisoners and attorneys say dozens of men held at Norfolk have tested positive for the virus. It's the third outbreak at a state correctional facility since the end of September.
https://www.wbur.org/news/2020/11/02/covid-19-outbreak-mci-norfolk
Should Prisoners Have to Pay For Medical Care During a Pandemic?
All but 12 states and the District of Columbia charge fees to prisoners who ask to see a doctor; officials say they want to discourage prisoners from abusing the medical system or stretching staff too thin.Rates are set by each state, ranging from $2 to $8 each time a prisoner seeks a visit, according to the Prison Policy Initiative, a national think tank. But low wages in prisons mean this fee could be equivalent to a week’s work, and the cost can discourage prisoners from seeking care.
8th inmate dies of coronavirus at Avenal State Prison
An eighth inmate at Avenal State Prison has now died after getting the coronavirus while incarcerated. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation hasn't released that person's name yet, but says 24 other inmates at Avenal State Prison have the virus right now.
https://kmph.com/news/local/8th-inmate-dies-of-coronavirus-at-avenal-state-prison
Dozens of inmates test positive for virus at San Diego federal jail
At least 56 inmates tested positive for the coronavirus last week at a privately run federal jail in downtown San Diego that houses mostly pretrial inmates, according to defense attorneys briefed on the matter.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-11-01/dozens-inmates-covid-19-san-diego-federal-jail
Cases of COVID-19 nearly triple at FCI Fort Dix
The number of COVID-19 cases inside Federal Ccorrectional Iinstitution at Fort Dix nearly tripled on twe days earler, according to data reported by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
As of Oct. 30, 165 inmates inside the federal prison had tested positive for the virus, nearly tripling the 59 cases the previous day. Eight staff members have also tested positive.
Inmates, staff at Bell County Forestry Camp test positive for COVID-19
84 inmates and four staff members at The Bell County Forestry Camp tested positive for COVID-19.
Health department officials reported five new cases on Saturday. The county currently has 179 active cases.
NOVEMBER 7 - 12, 2020 - NEWS FOR PRISONER FAMILIES
Pennsylvania prisons face a deadly ‘full-blown resurgence’ of COVID-19
The number of positive cases reported by the department stood at 442 prisoners and 244 staff. “Twenty-one of the 23 state prisons have active cases. There has not been a single time during this pandemic that there have been that many active cases.” So far, 17 incarcerated people have died — six of them since mid-October, at six institutions around the state.
Prisons and jails have become a ‘public health threat’ during the pandemic
Within a week, 23 inmates and 17 staff members were found to be infected. One inmate, Charles Viney Jr., a 66-year-old with a collapsed lung, died hours after testing positive. Within a month, more than three-quarters of Pickaway’s roughly 2,000 inmates were confirmed positive. By the end of May, 35 were dead.
Texas prisons, jails worst COVID-19 hotspots of any in US
More Texas jail and prison inmates and staff have been infected and killed by COVID-19 than those of any other state’s criminal justice system, according to a university report. At least 231 inmates and staff members have died of COVID-19 in Texas prisons and jails, according to the report by the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas. The study also found that Texas inmates and staff tested positive for the coronavirus virus that causes COVID-19 at a 490% higher rate than the state’s general population. Also, nine Texas inmates approved for parole died in prison before their release.
https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-texas-prisons-0cd4abba679ac501ad3cb567dc7509c2
COVID-19: More than 100 inmates in Rapid City prison test positive
The South Dakota Department of Corrections in its weekday updates of COVID-19 in the state's prisons said that 184 inmates at the Rapid City Community Work Center have tested positive, and just one has reported recovering.
Number of cases in Maryland prisons tops 1,000 since pandemic began
Two Maryland inmates died from COVID-19 late last month, bringing the total number of inmate coronavirus deaths to 13, according to the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. More than 1,000 inmates have contracted the virus since March. Two correctional workers have died, according to the department, and 808 guards, correctional staff and contract workers have tested have tested positive for the virus.
Lawmakers have ‘grave concerns’ over how officials are handling COVID-19 outbreak at N.J. prison
A group of New Jersey members of Congress on Monday called on the federal Bureau of Prisons to halt inmate transfers to Fort Dix correctional institution — which has the second most current cases of COVID-19 of any federal prison in the country — until it implements a testing strategy and there are no active cases.
COVID-19 in Benton County jails; mother & former inmate speak out
COVID-19 cases at the Benton County jail continue to rise, with the case count now hitting triple digits. The jail has had 190 detainees and 16 employees test positive for COVID-19. Over the last several weeks, KNWA/FOX24 has heard from concerned families and loved ones of inmates in Benton County. A day after getting tested for coronavirus, Brent Alexander was released from the Benton County jail before knowing his COVID-19 status. He said after many requests for the results, he learned he was COVID-19 positive-two days after his release.
https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/covid-19-in-benton-county-jails-mother-former-inmate-speak-out/
Minnesota prisoners union declares ‘state of emergency’ after more virus deaths in state prisons
Two inmates died of coronavirus this week in Minnesota prisons, bringing the total deaths in state correctional facilities to four, according to a prisoners union. The Twin Cities Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee, which says more than 1,000 inmates and 200 prison staff members have been infected with COVID-19 in Minnesota, will rally outside Stillwater prison to declare a “state of emergency” in the state’s correctional facilities.
He tried to sue over COVID-19 conditions at his prison. He died before it was filed
John Dailey tried to sue over COVID-19 conditions at his prison, but he died before his case could be filed. Butner Correctional Complex, a sprawling facility about an hour outside Raleigh, is North Carolina’s only federal prison. More prisoners have died of COVID-19 at Butner than at any other prison run by the federal government nationwide. That’s what prompted a long-awaited lawsuit filed last week, which seeks safer conditions for prisoners inside of what it calls “the deadliest of all federal facilities during this pandemic.”
More than 450 inmates, dozens of staff at Iowa's Anamosa State Penitentiary have COVID-19
Nearly 500 inmates at the Anamosa State Penitentiary have COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus, according to the Iowa Department of Corrections.
Lockdown at Nevada prison where 93 inmates COVID-19 positive
State prison officials have ordered a lockdown at a medium-security facility in Northern Nevada after 93 inmates and seven staff members tested positive for the coronavirus. The Nevada Department of Corrections said that additional sanitation measures have been deployed, and all meals are being delivered to individual units during the lockdown.
https://lasvegassun.com/news/2020/nov/06/lockdown-at-nevada-prison-where-93-inmates-covid-1/
More COVID-19 Cases In Massachusetts Correctional Facilities
Like the rest of Massachusetts, there are increased cases of the coronavirus in state correctional facilities, including 140 prisoners who have now tested positive at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution in Norfolk.
https://www.wbur.org/news/2020/11/06/more-covid-19-cases-in-massachusetts-correctional-facilities
NOVEMBER 13 - 19, 2020 - NEWS FOR PRISONER FAMILIES
Texas inmates paid $2 an hour to move COVID-19 victims' bodies
Amid a spike in COVID-19 cases, Texas' El Paso County is paying prison inmates $2 an hour to move the bodies of deceased victims of the disease. While prison labor is a common practice across the U.S., the reliance on inmates to handle the task of moving the corpses of COVID-19 victims is raising questions about the ethics of such work.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/el-paso-covid-body-transport-county-inmates-2-dollars-per-hour/
Wisconsin prison system sees highest single-day spike in COVID-19 cases with 808 new infections
The state Department of Corrections reported 808 new COVID-19 cases among inmates--the highest single-day spike in cases in the state prison system since the start of the pandemic. The new infections bring the total number of COVID-19 cases among inmates up to 6,977 and the active case count to 2,063, according to DOC’s data dashboard.
As COVID-19 races through Kentucky’s prisons, one in five inmates has been infected
One in every five of the 10,165 inmates housed in Kentucky’s 14 state prisons has been infected with COVID-19 since March, with state data showing active outbreaks this week involving nearly 800 people at five different prisons. “The news from the corrections front is not good,” said J. Michael Brown, secretary of Gov. Andy Beshear’s cabinet, during the governor’s Monday afternoon news conference. So far, 2,028 state inmates and 281 prison employees have been infected by COVID-19, state data shows.
https://www.kentucky.com/news/coronavirus/article247223324.html
Incarcerated Texans are dying from COVID-19 at a rate 35% higher than rest of the U.S. prisons
With more than 23,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Texas’ prisons, incarcerated Texans are testing positive at a rate 40% higher than the national prison population average, according to a new report from the University of Texas at Austin. And with at least 190 inmate deaths linked to the virus, the state’s death rate is 35% higher than the rest of the U.S. prison population, the report found. Texas, which has the largest population of people behind bars in the country, has led the nation for most COVID-19 prison and jail deaths of any system in the country.
New Coronavirus testing for all state prisoners and DOC staff
After recent coronavirus outbreaks at several Massachusetts prisons, universal testing of state prisoners and staff began Nov. 14. The Department of Correction says correctional facilities will be in modified operations for two weeks as tests are conducted on prisoners and staff at all 16 state prisons.
Virus cases rising in New Mexico prisons
In recent weeks the virus has made inroads in all 11 state prisons infecting hundreds of inmates and staff. Corrections Department spokesman Eric Harrison said the outbreaks were inevitable, given the steep spike in virus cases throughout New Mexico in recent weeks. The department is doing everything possible to ensure the safety of workers and prisoners, he added.
Sri Lanka prisons suffer COVID-19 outbreak
Authorities in Sri Lanka say about 400 inmates from the country's highly-congested prisons have tested positive for COVID-19 as infected cases are surging in the capital and its suburbs. Twelve of the 400 are prison officers while the rest are inmates. The cases are detected from five prisons in different parts of the country. Sri Lankan prisons are highly congested with more than 26,000 inmates crowded in facilities designed to hold about 10,000.
https://www.startribune.com/the-latest-india-reports-another-41-000-coronavirus-cases/573080991/
COVID outbreaks in state prisons among worst in the nation
Minnesota’s prison system is facing one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the nation following a massive spike in infections over the last few weeks, new data shows. After a relatively quiet stretch of several months, the state now has the 6th highest infection rate among prison inmates in the country and the 3rd highest among corrections staff. Last week, Minnesota had the highest rate of new inmate cases in the nation, the data show.
80 percent of those who died of Covid-19 in Texas county jails were never convicted of a crime
The “devastating human toll” of Covid-19 in Texas’s correctional facilities is revealed in a new report by University of Texas at Austin researchers. Over 80 percent of those who died of Covid-19 in Texas county jails were never convicted of a crime.
Covid cases in prisons in England and Wales double in October
The number of prisoners who have tested positive for coronavirus in England and Wales since the start of the pandemic more than doubled in the space of a month in October, figures reveal.
At the end of October, 1,529 prisoners had tested positive for Covid-19 since March, an increase of 883 on the September figure, Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures show. The MoJ has been testing all symptomatic prisoners since April.
New COVID-19 cases in Iowa prisons among highest in the nation this week
Iowa prisons recorded the third-most new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. this week, according to a report by The Marshall Project. The week of Nov. 10, Iowa saw more than 1,032 prisoners test positive for COVID-19. Only Texas and the federal prison system recorded more new virus cases by Tuesday, with 2,119 and 1,311 new cases, respectively. Michigan prisons also reported 1,011 new virus cases this week. No other state reported more than 1,000 new cases in the same time frame.
National Guard was deployed to Richland Correctional amid COVID-19 outbreak
In the midst of last month's COVID-19 outbreak at Richland Correctional Institution, the Ohio National Guard was deployed to the prison to cover staffing gaps. Over a quarter of Richland Correctional's 392 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began.
NOVEMBER 20 - 24, 2020 - NEWS FOR PRISONER FAMILIES
America is Letting the Coronavirus rage through prisons
Roughly two million people confined in the nation’s prisons and jails face a grim challenge: how to stay alive inside a system being ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic. Like the nation overall, U.S. correctional facilities are experiencing record spikes in coronavirus infections this fall. During the week of Nov. 17, there were 13,657 new coronavirus infections reported across the state and federal prison systems.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/21/opinion/sunday/coronavirus-prisons-jails.html
Few inmates considered eligible for early release even as COVID-19 flares up in prison
Nevada prison officials say they’ve identified just two people in a population of nearly 14,000 who might be eligible for an early release on the basis of their susceptibility to COVID-19 and other factors, even as more than 80 percent of the inmate population in a Carson City prison has tested positive for coronavirus.
COVID-19’s fall rise hitting state and city prisons, too
During the current fall surge where cases have topped 12 million nationally as of Saturday, the maps have illustrated a more troubling scenario: The highly contagious virus is everywhere. The dramatic change means there are now positive coronavirus cases in 22 of the state’s 24 correctional institutions, putting advocates — and families with loved ones on the inside — on edge. As of Friday, there were 824 active cases. Six days earlier, the total was about half that figure. To date, 23 prisoners have died from COVID-19 in nine correctional facilities. Twelve have died since October.
Sick prisoner wrote 17 letters pleading to be freed. Covid silenced him.
Waylon Young Bird is among at least seven inmates who have died this month amid an outbreak at a federal prison medical center in Missouri. In a letter dated Oct. 28, he wrote that dozens of inmates in his unit had tested positive but he was, so far, one of the lucky ones. “I’m afraid I may be infected by the time you read this letter,” he wrote. “Please as a compassionate judge, can you help me thru this situation.” Young Bird tested positive for the virus the next day. He died exactly a week later, according to the Bureau of Prisons.
New COVID-19 cases in Michigan's prisons hit all-time high
The number of active COVID-19 cases among Michigan's prisoners has reached what's believed to be an all-time high during the pandemic, with 4,010 current infections in facilities across the state. And last week, the Department of Corrections reported a record number of new cases in a single day, logging a staggering 1,137 additional prisoner and staff cases on Nov. 12.
Inmate outbreak: 800 infected with COVID-19 in state prison facilities
At least 800 inmates housed by the Utah Department of Corrections are infected with COVID-19, and two have died in the past week.
Handling of COVID-19 in Nevada prisons and jails ‘grossly inadequate’
In June, the Nevada Department of Corrections not only failed to mandate mask use by residents and staff, it issued a policy prohibiting incarcerated people from wearing face coverings, citing “the risk of escape.” This cruel and misguided logic fails to protect those under the department’s charge and actively sabotages people’s ability to protect themselves. Thus far, the state’s treatment of COVID-19 in correctional facilities has been grossly inadequate.
https://lasvegassun.com/news/2020/nov/21/covid-19-in-nevadas-prisons-and-jails/
Family members upset with Dept. of Corrections handling of COVID-19 outbreaks
An Oshkosh prison is reporting one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks among all state prisons with nearly half of its total inmate population having been infected. Some family members accused the Wisconsin Department of Corrections of not doing enough to protect their loved ones.
COVID-19 cases more than double in Michigan prisons in two weeks
The number of inmates in Michigan prisons testing positive for COVID-19 has more than doubled in just two weeks. Currently, 2,790 inmates are considered active positive cases. The number was about 1,200 two weeks ago.
https://www.michiganradio.org/post/covid-19-cases-more-double-michigan-prisons-two-weeks
COVID-19 running wild in Minnesota prisons
The number of positive COVID-19 cases being reported in Minnesota has been breaking records, with the Minnesota Department of Health reporting 8,689 new cases and 35 new deaths as of November 14. The state has a cumulative total of 220,960 positive confirmed cases and growing.
https://spokesman-recorder.com/2020/11/18/covid-19-running-wild-in-minnesota-prisons/
Dozens of National Guard soldiers step in to help SC prisons during COVID-19 pandemic
Hundreds of National Guard soldiers are still responding to COVID-19 in South Carolina, and dozens of them are helping in our prisons. The South Carolina Department of Corrections has reported more than 2,400 cases of COVID-19 in inmates, more than 550 cases in staff members, and 33 deaths associated with the virus.
COVID-19 outbreaks continue to grow in Alaska prisons
Two weeks into an outbreak, the number of COVID-19 cases at Goose Creek Correctional Center in Point MacKenzie keeps climbing. The facility now has 204 cases, all of which are active, according to a spokesperson for the Department of Corrections. That is an increase of more than 90 since the last report eight days ago.
https://www.ktoo.org/2020/11/18/covid-19-outbreaks-continue-to-grow-in-alaska-prisons/
NOVEMBER 25 - 27, 2020 - NEWS FOR PRISONER FAMILIES
As coronavirus cases keep rising, Washington extends visitation ban in state prisons
As coronavirus cases in Washington rise ever higher, the state’s prisons are continuing to ban in-person visits for inmates. In-person visits at the state’s 24 prisons and work-release centers have been suspended since mid-March, as the state Department of Corrections tries to forestall outbreaks in its facilities.
WGXA Investigates shocking conditions in some Georgia prisons during pandemic
According to the Georgia Department of Corrections Website, 2,283 Georgia inmates are COVID positive, 2,079 have recovered from COVID-19, and 82 inmates have died from the virus but one nurse who works at multiple Georgia prisons believes those numbers are being under-reported. “It is running rampant in the prisons. The numbers that are posted on GDC are not accurate at all. Filthy conditions, severe staff shortages, no answers to desperate screams for help, being left in a locked cell alone for days on end while fighting COVID-19 - these are just a few of the accusations against the Georgia Department of Corrections.
As COVID-19 roars through U.S. prisons, South Korea may provide template
When three prison inmates were infected with the COVID-19 virus in South Korea early last spring, corrections officers responded swiftly. "Walk-thru” testing booths were installed in each of the country’s 54 prison compounds, masks were distributed universally and prisoners had visitations curtailed. Nine months later the Asian nation has reported only one other COVID-19 cluster of 11 infections in a prison system that’s home to some 55,000 detainees. Contrast that with the U.S., where the virus spread to 2,200 people at California’s San Quentin State Prison over summer, killing 28. On New York’s Rikers Island, more than 1,400 corrections officers were infected during an outbreak last spring in which three inmates died. 90 of the 100 largest cluster outbreaks in the U.S. occurred in prisons.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/11/26/asia-pacific/coronavirus-us-prisons-south-korea/
N.C. closes prisons, moves inmates as COVID cases spike
Three state prisons have been closed, with hundreds of inmates being transferred to other facilities across the state, as COVID-19 continues to spike within the prison system. State prison leaders outline the moves in a briefing to staff. In the briefing, leaders said the move was due to both an increase in COVID-19 cases among inmates and the number of staff that have been out of work at some facilities.
https://www.wbtv.com/2020/11/25/nc-closes-prisons-moves-inmates-covid-cases-spike/
Prison inmates receiving visitors, but touching is forbidden
The Florida Department of Corrections recently began allowing visits to its facilities, including two prisons in Polk County. The agency had suspended all visits in March amid concerns about the spread of COVID-19. The department reported more than 36,000 positive tests for COVID-19 among inmates and nearly 3,700 among staff members. The Florida Department of Health reports that 187 inmates and four staff members at state prisons have died of complications from COVID-19.
'It can spread so quickly': 300 Nebraska inmates with COVID-19
Nearly 300 Nebraska inmates have the coronavirus, according to state prison officials.
Those cases include 112 prisoners at the Omaha Corrections Center, 71 at the Lincoln Corrections Center and 98 at the prison in Tecumseh. The surge in cases is a concern for Nebraska's Inspector General of Corrections Doug Koebernick. "Once it gets into a prison system it can spread so quickly," Koebernick said.
https://www.ketv.com/article/it-can-spread-so-quickly-300-nebraska-inmates-with-covid-19/34778276
‘I was not sentenced to death’: As virus surges through WI prisons, cons call for safer procedures
Crisler is advocating for the release of Wisconsin’s prisoners amid a pandemic still ravaging the state and its prison facilities, infecting thousands and taking the lives so far of 11 prisoners. “You don’t want to get sick inside an institution,” Crisler said. “The only way you get help, and if it’s really truly a medical situation, you have to be dying.”
Allenwood Federal Penitentiary on virtual lockdown amid spike in COVID-19 cases
Approximately one-fifth of the inmates at the Allenwood Federal Penitentiary have tested positive for the coronavirus. The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) website Tuesday stated 126 of the 584 inmates have tested positive, about three times the number of a week ago. Six cases also are reported among staff members. The BOP did not respond to requests for additional information.
Inmate in Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla dies from COVID-19 complications
An incarcerated patient at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla has died of issues related to COVID-19 according to the Washington State Department of Corrections. Michael Cornethan passed away on Saturday, Nov. 21, at a medical facility near the prison, according to the DOC. He was 62 years old.
An uphill battle against COVID-19 in prisons
Advocates push for more widespread and frequent testing, and for the release of more prisoners. As of Nov. 20, New York has recorded 1,713 positive cases among the incarcerated population, 1,676 positive cases among staff and 122 positive cases among parolees since the start of the pandemic. Eighteen incarcerated individuals have died from the virus, as have five staff and four parolees. Health hazards in prisons have a disproportionate impact on people of color. According to state statistics, Black New Yorkers made up 48% of state prison sentences in 2018, despite representing just 15% of the total population that year.
COVID-19 death toll in Missouri prisons climbs to 27 inmates and four staff employees
A surge of inmate deaths this month related to the coronavirus has led to renewed calls on the state to take additional steps to protect Missouri’s prison population. In all, 27 inmates and four Department of Corrections staffers have died from complications of COVID-19, a spokeswoman reported. At least 17 inmate deaths and two staff deaths have been recorded this month.
Federal prisons among first in line for COVID-19 vaccines — with staff as priority
The federal prison system will be among the first government agencies to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, though initial allotments will be given to staff and not to inmates, even though infected prisoners vastly outnumber sickened staff, according to documents obtained by the Associated Press.
NOV. 28 - Dec. 4, 2020 - NEWS FOR PRISONER FAMILIES
Airway Heights prison faces 64 new COVID-19 cases in inmates overnight
Airway Heights Corrections Center reported 64 new COVID cases Tuesday, nearly 10 times the number of cases the facility has recorded since the start of the pandemic. Thirty staff have also tested positive for the virus.
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/dec/02/airway-heights-prison-faces-64-new-covid-19-cases-/
Covid-19 outbreak infects more than half of inmates at Pa. prison for elderly and infirm
The State Correctional Institution Laurel Highlands, housed in a former state psychiatric hospital, is part prison, part long-term-care facility for many of the oldest and sickest men in Pennsylvania’s prisons. Now, it’s the epicenter of a covid-19 outbreak tearing across the state prison system. In the last month, 444 prisoners at Laurel Highlands — more than half its population — have tested positive. That’s in addition to 49 confirmed cases among staff. Eight men incarcerated there have died of covid-19 just since mid-November.
COVID-19 Infections Hit Record High In California Prisons
Inside California’s prisons, coronavirus cases have exploded, reaching 3,861 active cases last week — the highest so far. Yet the state has slowed its early releases of inmates, raising questions about overcrowding as the infections spread through the prisons.
Gov. Polis says Colorado prisoners shouldn’t get COVID-19 vaccine before free people
Gov. Jared Polis said he believes incarcerated people, who’ve been subject to many of Colorado’s most severe coronavirus outbreaks, should not receive access to upcoming vaccines ahead of free people. It’s a position he’s stated twice in the last week, and that seems to go against the vaccine distribution plan Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment published weeks ago.
https://www.denverpost.com/2020/12/01/polis-covid-vaccine-prison-jail-colorado/
4 more Colorado inmates die of COVID-19 over the last week
There are 1,558 inmates and 207 staff members with COVID-19 in Colorado's jails and prisons and four inmates have died from the disease within the last week, according to a release from the Colorado Department of Corrections (DOC). This brings the total number of COVID-19 deaths among Colorado's inmate population to 11, the DOC said.
Report: Washington prisons officials botched response to COVID-19 outbreak at Coyote Ridge Prison
As a coronavirus outbreak ravaged a central Washington prison this spring and summer, corrections officials were slow, confused and ineffective in their response, a state watchdog report shows. Key medical personnel were absent or sidelined by other Department of Corrections (DOC) administrators, according to the report by the Office of Corrections Ombuds. Guards weren’t forced to wear masks. Symptomatic prisoners were allowed to mingle with others.
‘Is it a death sentence being here?’: COVID sweeps through Stillwater prison
A coronavirus outbreak is raging through the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater in Bayport. As of Nov. 27, at least 941 inmates have been infected with the virus, which is 75 percent of the prison’s total population. One inmate has died. The prison has been placed on a medical lockdown since Oct. 12, cut off from the outside world. Other facilities such as St. Cloud and Faribault also have experienced COVID-19 outbreaks.
Sri Lankan prison riot leaves 8 inmates dead, 59 injureds
Eight inmates were killed and 59 others were injured when guards opened fire to control a riot at a prison on the outskirts of Sri Lanka's capital, officials said Monday. Two guards were critically injured, they said. Pandemic-related unrest has been growing in Sri Lanka’s overcrowded prisons. Inmates have staged protests in recent weeks at several prisons as the number of coronavirus cases surges in the facilities.
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/inmate-dead-wounded-sri-lanka-prison-riot-74450164
Some inmates at Saskatoon Correctional Centre stage hunger strike to protest conditions
Some inmates at the Saskatoon Correctional Centre have started a hunger strike to protest conditions in the facility that has reported almost 100 cases of COVID-19. Inmate Brett Karol said the jail has been locked down for about a week. "There are guys in various dorms that have been tested positive for COVID," Karol said. "There is no isolation protocol in place anymore. We were all handed a sheet of paper saying that anyone tested positive will remain in the dorm with, you know, 30 plus guys, symptomatic or not. "So basically, we're being told that if someone is sick, you're all going to get sick because they simply run out of room to put people once they're confirmed COVID-19," he said.
Gov. Noem hasen't changed mind about early prison releases during pandemic
Gov. Kristi Noem has not changed her mind since asked in March about special prisoner releases as a way to mitigate the COVID-19 virus, which has infected about 60% of prisoners and killed three. Noem's spokesman said when asked the state will be doing automatic releases or special reviews for prisoners who are elderly, convicted of non-violent crimes, at high risk of dying from the virus, nearly complete with their sentences, and/or living at minimum-security prisons that deem inmates rehabilitated enough to work in the community. The answer was no.
Community orgs. protest for prisoner release amid COVID-19 surges
The Workers World Party Philadelphia and other community organizations will hold a demonstration outside the Federal Detention Center to push for the release of prisoners due to the high spread of COVID-19 within the prisons. The WWP will gather at 2 p.m. on Nov. 28 outside the FDC, according to a press release from the organization. In the past month, over 200 Coronavirus cases have been reported within the Philadelphia FDC, despite little to no contact with family, visitors or attorneys, according to the release. "The only humane course of action is to release prisoners to their families and community," the release said. "Particularly elderly, immunocompromised prisoners, and prisoners with pre-existing conditions."
https://www.phillyvoice.com/community-orgs-protest-prisoner-release-amid-covid-19-surges/
Union calling for new system-wide COVID-19 measures in state prisons
The union representing state correctional officers is calling for a system-wide suspension of visitation, increased spacing of inmates and limited inmate transport to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in state prisons. In a plea directed to NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Michael Powers, president of the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association, said “immediate steps” are necessary to curb spread among prison employees and the state’s incarcerated population. “The state needs to act now, system-wide, before it’s too late,” Mr. Powers said.
DECember. 5 - 11, 2020 - NEWS FOR PRISONER FAMILIES
Prisoners protest after COVID-19 cases triple and officers beat inmate
Inmates protested and faced a lockdown at the Stafford Creek Corrections Center in Aberdeen, Washington, as COVID-19 cases shot up from 85 Friday to 237 on Tuesday. Family members of inmates described the action as a riot. It began when a corrections officer used force on one of the inmates, according to a letter from the Office of the Corrections Ombudsman. Over the weekend, the beating of another prisoner led to rumors throughout the prison that he had died by choking on pepper spray, said Loren Taylor, a former Stafford employee who now advocates for Stafford prisoners. Ombuds Joanna Carns wrote on Dec. 8th that she visited Stafford Creek in response to the rumors and spoke to the man who’d been beaten. He had bruising and minor injuries, she said, though “what he relayed to me about the incident is concerning.” Department of Corrections spokesperson Susan Biller did not respond to requests for an interview.
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/dec/08/prisoners-riot-after-covid-cases-triple-and-office/
WA inmates say they're retaliated against for getting COVID-19
People in work release programs say getting sick can get you thrown back into prison, where there’s still no plan for containment. Milo Burshaine viewed the Bishop Lewis Work Release Facility in Seattle as his last stop before freedom. But instead, Burshaine contracted COVID-19 in October after sleeping in the same room as someone who had tested positive for the virus. Dozens of others at the facility got sick as well. Then he and seven others were thrown back into prison and put in solitary confinement. “Essentially we caught COVID because of the work release and now you’re going to punish us because we have it,” Burshaine said.
https://crosscut.com/news/2020/12/wa-inmates-say-theyre-retaliated-against-getting-covid-19
Coronavirus cases double in a month among Maryland’s prison population; inmate death toll increases
A 14th Maryland prisons inmate has died of COVID-19 as the total number of infections among state prisoners has more than doubled in a month, from 1,033 to 2,173, according to the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Total cases among staff have also spiked, though not as dramatically, to 1,255. Two correctional officers have died to date.
Prisoners get high priority for vaccine
Advocates for the 13,000 people incarcerated at state and county prisions praised the Gov. Baker for deciding to give prisoners and prison officials early access to the COVID-19 vaccine, but said they would continue to press state officials to release inmates early.
Vaccines are coming to NC’s prisons. Who should get first priority?
A future COVID-19 vaccine is coming to North Carolina’s prisons – and staff will be first in line to get it. But that prioritization is contentious. Under the state’s tentative plan, prison staff and high-risk incarcerated people will be first to get shots. Thousands of remaining inmates, the majority of the prison population, will wait.
More than half of inmates in Yuma prison unit test positive for COVID-19
More than half of the inmates held in the Arizona State Prison Complex's La Paz Unit in Yuma have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry. The department said that of the unit's 1,066 inmates, 655 tested positive.
Coronavirus outbreak in Seattle’s King County Jail sends 16 inmates into medical isolation
The King County Jail in downtown Seattle experienced its first coronavirus outbreak believed to have originated inside the facility on Sunday, sending 16 inmates into medical isolation, according to the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD).
Send first vaccines to Pennsylvania’s prisons | Opinion
Pennsylvania’s prisons and jails have been ravaged by COVID-19. Incarcerated people, and the staff who supervise them, were among the first to suffer in the pandemic. They should also be among the first to be vaccinated, not only for their benefit but to protect the broader community.
Execution staff have COVID-19 after inmate put to death
As the U.S. government rushes to put inmates to death in a pandemic before President Donald Trump leaves office, the Justice Department disclosed that eight staff members who took part in an execution last month tested positive for the coronavirus and five of those staffers will take part in executions scheduled for this week.
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/execution-staff-covid-19-inmate-put-death-74611875
Prisons should be COVID-19 vaccine priority: Health experts
Prisoners should be high on the list, according to the American Medical Association, the nation's largest physician group, which this month called for incarcerated people to "be prioritized in receiving access to safe, effective COVID-19 vaccines in the initial phases of distribution."
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/prisons-covid-19-vaccine-priority-health-experts/story?id=74501889
The Freakout About Giving COVID Vaccines to Prisoners Has Already Begun
Jails and prisons are virus hot spots, but politics could slow efforts to inoculate their residents. Gov. “Polis would give the life-saving vaccine to a person who puts a loaded gun to grandma’s head, before he would give it to grandma,” a Republican district attorney wrote.
https://www.motherjones.com/crime-justice/2020/12/prison-vaccine-covid-priority-colorado/
Judge mandates outside help for NC prisons’ response to pandemic
Wake County Superior Court Judge Vince Rozier’s ruling follows civil rights groups once again asking him to appoint a special master to oversee prisons’ response during the pandemic as COVID-19 cases continue to climb, shutting down facilities and resulting in mass transfers that could further spread the virus to vulnerable communities, they said.
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/coronavirus/article247603635.html
DECEMBER. 12 - 17, 2020 - NEWS FOR PRISONER FAMILIES
Prisoners have been excluded from Covid vaccine plans, and health experts are sounding the alarm
With the U.S. and U.K. rolling out national vaccination programs to curb the spread of the coronavirus, health experts and advocates alike are deeply concerned about the notable absence of prison populations in inoculation plans. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not yet made any decisions about prisoners when it comes to vaccine access, though it is thought prison staff may be included in the second phase of allocation.
U.S. lawmakers press prison authorities on inmate COVID-19 vaccination plans
More than two dozen members of the U.S. Congress on Wednesday called on federal prison and health officials for details about how inmates will be vaccinated for COVID-19, questioning whether the most vulnerable prisoners will have priority access. In a letter to Federal Bureau of Prisons director Michael Carvajal and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief Dr. Robert Redfield, 26 lawmakers, led by Democratic Representative Bobby Scott, expressed concerns about the prison system’s existing plan for vaccine distribution.
Report: Corrections officials in Louisiana failed to protect inmates, staff from COVID-19
Corrections officials at all levels across the state did not do enough to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among people locked up in prisons, jails, and immigration detention centers in Louisiana, leading to unnecessary death and suffering, a report released on Dec. 10 by the legal non-profit Promise of Justice Initiative argues.
Inmates Will Be Among First to Receive COVID-19 Vaccination in Md.
Maryland prison inmates considered high risk for suffering severe COVID-19-related illnesses will be among the first in the state to receive the Coronavirus vaccine, state health officials confirmed.
Mass. Prisoners Among The First To Get COVID Vaccines
Among those first in line for the COVID-19 vaccine in Massachusetts are correction workers and the nearly 13,000 people incarcerated in jails and prisons in the state. The news comes as COVID cases continue to spike behind bars.
https://www.wbur.org/news/2020/12/13/mass-prisoners-among-the-first-to-get-covid-vaccines
Pa. Corrections Department tells officer with COVID-19 symptoms to return to work early
The state Department of Corrections defied federal guidelines and a doctor’s order last week, demanding that an officer who tested positive for COVID-19 come back to work at a Pennsylvania prison struggling to contain the spread, Spotlight PA has learned.
Families of Airway Heights inmates protest over COVID-19 outbreak, living conditions
The families of inmates at Airway Heights Corrections Center are staging a protest Saturday over the COVID-19 outbreak at the facility, and the conditions inmates are experiencing inside the facility. Airway Heights Corrections Center has reported 792 cumulative cases of coronavirus among inmates since Nov. 30, the most of any Washington correctional facility.
Prisoners protest after COVID-19 cases triple and officers beat inmate
Inmates protested and faced a lockdown at the Stafford Creek Corrections Center in Aberdeen, Washington, as COVID-19 cases shot up from 85 Friday to 237 on Tuesday. Family members of inmates described the action as a riot. It began when a corrections officer used force on one of the inmates, according to a letter from the Office of the Corrections Ombudsman. Over the weekend, the beating of another prisoner led to rumors throughout the prison that he had died by choking on pepper spray, said Loren Taylor, a former Stafford employee who now advocates for Stafford prisoners. Ombuds Joanna Carns wrote on Dec. 8th that she visited Stafford Creek in response to the rumors and spoke to the man who’d been beaten. He had bruising and minor injuries, she said, though “what he relayed to me about the incident is concerning.” Department of Corrections spokesperson Susan Biller did not respond to requests for an interview.
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/dec/08/prisoners-riot-after-covid-cases-triple-and-office/
WA inmates say they're retaliated against for getting COVID-19
People in work release programs say getting sick can get you thrown back into prison, where there’s still no plan for containment. Milo Burshaine viewed the Bishop Lewis Work Release Facility in Seattle as his last stop before freedom. But instead, Burshaine contracted COVID-19 in October after sleeping in the same room as someone who had tested positive for the virus. Dozens of others at the facility got sick as well. Then he and seven others were thrown back into prison and put in solitary confinement. “Essentially we caught COVID because of the work release and now you’re going to punish us because we have it,” Burshaine said.
https://crosscut.com/news/2020/12/wa-inmates-say-theyre-retaliated-against-getting-covid-19
3 more Wisconsin prisoners die from COVID-19; federal prison also faces outbreak
The state Department of Corrections reported three more COVID-19-related inmate deaths Wednesday as the coronavirus continues to infect state, county and federal inmates in Wisconsin. A total of 19 inmates have now died from COVID-19 in the Wisconsin prison system, according to DOC’s data dashboard.
Twelfth Iowa inmate dies following COVID-19 outbreak in state prisons
Mark Bailey is the 12th Iowa inmate to die following the COVID-19 outbreak in state prisons and the first from the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison, according to the state's website. An additional 3,368 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. There are 49 staff members with active coronavirus infections, and 511 more staff members have contracted the virus but are no longer considered positive.
Alabama prison system reports 5 more inmates with COVID-19 have died
The Alabama Department of Corrections announced today the deaths of five inmates who have tested positive for COVID-19. The ADOC has now reported a total of 43 deaths related to the coronavirus.
DECEMBER. 18 - 23, 2020 - NEWS FOR PRISONER FAMILIES
COVID-19 Spikes Follow in Prisons After Inmate Transfers
officials transferred nine prisoners to Kinross from Marquette Branch Prison, several hours west, where COVID-19 was running rampant. There were 837 confirmed cases by late October, 350 of which were still active when the men were transferred. Roughly three weeks later, Kinross had its first major outbreak, corrections department data showed. Though agency officials say it’s not because of the transfers, more than 1,100 prisoners have now been infected, at least seven have died and more than 100 guards have fallen ill. The prisoners who came to Kinross had been transferred twice, sent first to Marquette after a riot where they were held, and then had tested positive for COVID-19 there before leaving for Kinross, officials said.
Congress clinches deal to restore Pell grants for prisoners 26 years after ban
Congressional leaders have struck a deal to reinstate Pell grants for incarcerated students more than a quarter century after banning the aid for prison education programs, top Democrats and Republicans announced on Sunday. The legislation, which is expected to be included as part of the year-end spending deal, would lift the prohibition Congress imposed in the 1994 crime bill that then-President Bill Clinton signed and Joe Biden championed as a senator.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/20/congress-pell-grant-prisoners-449364
Surgeon general says prisons are 'particularly vulnerable population,' defers to states on vaccine p
U.S. Surgeon General Vice-Admiral Jerome Adams says the government recognizes that the population at corrections facilities are at high risk for the spread of COVID-19 but stopped short of saying they should be moved up the priority list for receiving the vaccine. This after the ACLU of Ohio and the American Medical Association, among others, called for the prioritization of the vaccine in prison populations.
Bethel prisoners with COVID-19 fill gym as outbreaks spread in Anchorage corrections facilities
Coronavirus cases continue to spread in Alaska’s correctional system, where more than half the state’s facilities are over capacity. State officials have tallied 72 active cases at Hiland Mountain Correctional Center in Eagle River, where female prisoners are housed, as of Dec. 18th.
Healthy and sick kept together at Lehigh County Jail as COVID-19 cases double, inmates say
"What’s it gonna take for something to be done?" one inmate asked. COVID-19 cases have more than doubled among inmates at Lehigh County Jail in the past week, according to a county spokeswoman, and inmates are alarmed at what they describe as a worsening situation of the virus spreading quickly in housing blocks. Employee cases, meanwhile, have affected staffing to the point where Lehigh County’s work release center temporarily closed earlier this month in order to move its staff over to the jail to address the jail’s staffing shortage, according to Laura Grammes, Lehigh County’s spokeswoman.
Nevada prison inmates among first to get COVID-19 vaccine
More than 11,000 inmates in the Nevada Department of Corrections and facility staff will get the COVID-19 vaccine before most of the population, documents show. COVID-19 has exploded in Nevada prisons over the past three months, with case reports surging past 500 at two prisons. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 2,442 offenders have tested positive for the virus. Eight have died.
For corrections staff, 561 have tested positive for COVID and two have died, officials with NDOC said Thursday. The numbers are up-to-date as of Dec. 10. As of Dec. 17, 1,624 inmates and 205 staff are currently positive with the virus.
1 in 5 Prisoners in the U.S. Has Had COVID-19
One in every five state and federal prisoners in the United States has tested positive for the coronavirus, a rate more than four times as high as the general population. In some states, more than half of prisoners have been infected, according to data collected by The Marshall Project and The Associated Press.As the pandemic enters its tenth month—and as the first Americans begin to receive a long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine—at least 275,000 prisoners have been infected, more than 1,700 have died and the spread of the virus behind bars shows no sign of slowing. New cases in prisons this week reached their highest level since testing began in the spring, far outstripping previous peaks in April and August.
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2020/12/18/1-in-5-prisoners-in-the-u-s-has-had-covid-19
Inmates sue prison, claim lack of COVID-19 safeguards
Fifty-six inmates have sued the Penitentiary of New Mexico near Santa Fe, accusing the facility of not protecting inmates from the coronavirus and asking the state Supreme Court to intervene.
In a handwritten petition, the inmates claim that efforts to prevent infections were lax at the penitentiary, causing a serious outbreak in late October. Prison officials didn’t conduct enough tests, didn’t separate inmates from those possibly infected, continued to have crews work outside in violation of state prison guidelines and allowed a worker with COVID-19 symptoms into a kitchen area multiple times, the lawsuit says. “The pervasive disregard for the lives of the inmates … is borderline on criminal,” the lawsuit states.
National commission says prison inmates, guards should be among first to get COVID-19 vaccine
With cases of COVID-19 continuing to spread through prisons, guards and inmates should be among the first to receive vaccinations against the virus that causes the illness, a national commission recommended. The vaccine recommendation by the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice was the main takeaway in a set of findings released by the panel.
Where Michigan prisoners, staff fall in COVID-19 vaccine rollout
Michigan prison staff and prisoners who are elderly or ailing are among those set to receive the COVID-19 vaccine during the initial phases of the state's plan, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections. Outbreaks of COVID-19 have ravaged prisons across the state, infecting roughly one-quarter of Michigan Department of Corrections staff and almost half of people incarcerated during the pandemic.
Inmates in Colorado, across the U.S. facing big coronavirus risks are not atop vaccine lists
More than 249,000 inmates have tested positive and nearly 1,700 have died from COVID-19 nationwide. At a prison in Colorado last week, nearly three-quarters of inmates caught the virus. California, North Carolina, Maryland, Delaware, Utah, New Mexico, Nebraska, Montana and Massachusetts have prisoners among the first to get the vaccine this winter. Colorado will not prioritize prisoners. Democratic Gov. Jared Polis buckeled to pressure from the right.
https://coloradosun.com/2020/12/16/coronavirus-colorad-prison-vaccine-list/
Coronavirus in Ohio: COVID-19 cases surging among state inmates, prison employees
In Ohio, the number of COVID-19 cases among prison employees has increased 155% since Sept. 29. Cases among inmates have climbed as well, though at the slower clip of 27%. In hard numbers, Ohio has logged 8,031 cases of COVID-19 among inmates and another 2,851 cases among staffers, according to an Enquirer analysis of data collected by The Marshall Project, a nonprofit investigative newsroom dedicated to the U.S. criminal justice system, and The Associated Press.
DECEMBER 24 - 28, 2020 - NEWS FOR PRISONER FAMILIES
70% of Airway Heights prison is COVID-19-positive
Seventy percent of Airway Heights Corrections Center’s inmate population have tested positive for COVID-19 and almost all those cases were recorded this month. That’s 1,307 prisoners who have tested positive. Airway Heights, on the edge of Spokane, is one of a dozen state prisons, but cases there account for a third of all the cases among all Washington state prisoners. On top of that 155 staff members at the prison have tested positive. One Airway Heights inmate died last week. The Department of Corrections has not posted the number of inmates hospitalized.
https://www.thedailyworld.com/northwest/70-of-airway-heights-prison-is-covid-19-positive/
COVID means layoffs at one Tri-Cities jail, 2 outbreaks at the other
Nearly 30 employees in one Tri-City jail have been sickened by COVID-19 in two outbreaks, while the pandemic has accelerated layoffs in the other. And just last week, Gov. Jay Inslee put a pause on bringing new inmates to state prisons, while officials grapple with nearly 1,900 active cases across the state.
https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article247697700.html
Oklahoma inmates, corrections staff will wait on COVID-19 vaccine
Oklahoma inmates, a group four times more likely to contract the coronavirus than the general population, won’t receive initial doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. More than 6,700 state inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 and 39 have died since April. Oklahoma ranks ninth in inmate coronavirus cases and 16th in cases per 10,000 inmates, according to data compiled by The Marshall Project and The Associated Press.
Correctional Facilities Are COVID-19 Hot Spots. Why Don’t They Get Vaccine Priority?
The equation for COVID-19 hot spots has been clear since the earliest days of the pandemic: Take facilities where people live in close quarters, then add conditions that make it hard to take preventive measures such as wearing personal protective equipment or keeping socially distant. Prisons and detention centers, where outbreaks continue. The 2.3 million people incarcerated in the U.S. are nearly five times as likely to test positive for the coronavirus as Americans generally and nearly three times as likely to die, after adjusting for age and sex.
Nearly 30 percent of Danville prison inmates have COVID-19
Nearly 30 percent of prisoners at the Danville Correctional Center currently have COVID-19, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections. As of Thursday, there were 463 active cases among inmates and 51 among staff. And the numbers have been growing rapidly among inmates.
Lawsuits Detail COVID Conditions, Question Why More Prisoners Aren't Released Amid Virus Surge
In the past six weeks over 1,000 prisoners have been confirmed infected, over two thirds of the total infections to date. Five incarcerated people have died in the past month," reads the preliminary injunction filed Wednesday by Prisoners Legal Services of Massachusetts (PLSMA). "All the measures DOC has put in place to control the spread of infection, such as lockdowns, mask use, and disinfection, have failed.
https://www.wbur.org/news/2020/12/24/covid-mass-prisoners-lawsuits
Coronavirus outbreak infects 20% of East Bay women's prison
A fast-moving coronavirus outbreak at FCI Dublin, a federal women’s prison in Alameda County, has infected more than 20% of the prison’s population. The mass spread of the virus in jails and prisons around the country, often following the transfers of inmates, has fueled anger from incarcerated people and the facilities’ staffs. At FCI Dublin, the outbreak is raising concerns among lawyers and advocates about inmate safety there and questions about whether authorities did enough to try to control the virus. The prison reported 185 infections out of the 880 women incarcerated there Wednesday, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. More than 200 additional women at the low-security prison were awaiting test results.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Coronavirus-outbreak-infects-20-of-East-Bay-15825744.php
Oklahoma Inmates and Corrections Staff Will Wait on COVID-19 Vaccine
Oklahoma inmates, a group four times more likely to contract the coronavirus than the general population, won’t receive initial doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Oklahoma ranks ninth in inmate coronavirus cases and 16th in cases per 10,000 inmates, according to data compiled by The Marshall Project and The Associated Press. Nationwide, one in five inmates in state and federal facilities has contracted COVID-19.
Texas hasn’t said when or how inmates will receive the coronavirus vaccine
Texas’ prisons and jails have been coronavirus hot spots throughout the pandemic. At least about 200 Texas inmates have died with COVID-19. So have more than 30 people who worked inside the state’s prisons — and countless others have spread the virus inside lockups and into the surrounding communities. But it’s unclear when the still-limited doses of virus vaccines will be made available to the more than 186,000 people detained in Texas prisons and jails. That timeline is among several factors Texas prison officials either haven’t decided or haven’t publicly released more than nine months into the pandemic and weeks after leaders knew a vaccine was on the horizon.
https://www.texastribune.org/2020/12/23/texas-prisons-jails-coronavirus-vaccine/
South Dakota has highest COVID-19 prisoner infection rate in U.S.
South Dakota has the highest COVID-19 prisoner infection rate in the U.S. but will be prioritizing staff over inmates for vaccinations. Sixty-two percent of South Dakota prisoners have been infected with the virus, according to a Dec. 18 analysis by the Associated Press and The Marshall Project. That’s more than three times the 20% infection rate of state and federal prisoners across the county, which is already more than four times as high as the general population.
“Of course it feels unsafe”: CO prisons face staffing crisis as scores of guards, cons get virus
Throughout the month of December, Gov. Jared Polis has considered asking the National Guard to help with basic operations inside the state’s prisons — laundry, meal preparation, trash removal — because massive COVID-19 outbreaks among correctional officers and inmates have sparked a staffing crisis. Last week, there were almost 400 prison guards out sick with COVID-19 and more than 1,100 prisoners with active infections across the state. Seventeen inmates have died so far during the pandemic.
https://coloradosun.com/2020/12/21/colorado-prisons-coronavirus-outbreak/
COVID-19 cases and deaths surge again in Ill. prisons, as inmates and advocates call for action
As a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic spread rapidly through Illinois prisons this fall, 73-year-old Watson Gray made another plea to be released from Dixon Correctional Center, where new infections were rising. Gray had lived behind bars for more than 40 years, serving a life sentence for hiring a relative to kill his business partner in 1978. Citing his age and poor health, Gray’s lawyer made a final plea for mercy dated Nov. 5. A day later, Gray died of complications related to COVID-19.
DEC. 30 - 31, 2020/Jan. 1, 2021 - NEWS FOR PRISONER FAMILIES
Second Washington corrections officer dies due to COVID-19 as prisons begin vaccine rollout
After beginning vaccinations in state prisons this week and as prisoners continue to point to poor conditions, the Department of Corrections announced on New Year’s Eve the second COVID-related death of a corrections officer. The agency had received limited doses of COVID-19 vaccines that are being distributed according to the state’s Phase 1a plan. Elderly prisoners and corrections officers who work with them are some of the first on the priority list for the department, said Rachel Ericson, deputy communications director for the agency.
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/dec/31/second-washington-corrections-officer-dies-due-to-/
NJ begins vaccinating for COVID-19 in prisons as it continues first-phase rollout
The Murphy administration has quietly started vaccinating inmates and staff at New Jersey's correctional facilities in its initial march toward an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first "limited" shots were administered Tuesday at South Woods State Prison, in Bridgeton, the state's largest corrections facility and one with the largest population of inmates with underlying conditions, according to the governor's office and a union representative. Other facilities were expected to follow based on their readiness and the availability of vaccines, the governor's office said.
Judge orders man freed from Valley Street jail citing jail's 'cavalier attitude' toward COVID
A Superior Court judge ordered home confinement Thursday for a Valley Street jail inmate who caught COVID-19 there, noting a “cavalier attitude” toward the deadly disease at the facility. The order came a day after a lengthy hearing that disclosed nearly non-existent testing for inmates, a high rate of infection among staff and practices that do not conform to state and federal guidelines.
South Korea enforces tough measures in prisons
South Korea has enforced its toughest physical distancing rules at correctional facilities across the country after a major cluster of coronavirus infections flared at a Seoul prison.
The Justice Ministry says that 792 people — 771 inmates and 21 staff — at Seoul’s Dongbu Detention Center have tested positive for the virus since one of center officials was found infected on Nov. 27. One of the infected inmates has died. In-prison educational classes will be halted, planned paroles of some inmates will be implemented early and prison staff are prohibited from engaging in outside activities.
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/latest-chinese-vaccine-shipment-arrives-turkey-74964619
2 Oregon State Penitentiary inmates who tested positive for COVID-19 have died this week
An inmate at the Oregon State Penitentiary who tested positive for COVID-19 died on Wednesday, Dec. 30. This marks the 22nd death of an inmate who tested positive for COVID-19 while in DOC custody. It's also the second coronavirus-related death of an Oregon State Penitentiary inmate in less than a week.
WHO Chief Scientist Warns "No Evidence COVID Vaccine Prevents Viral Transmission
By Tyler Durden
Once again, the United Nations' World Health Organization (WHO) has stepped in to offer some confusing comments about the coronavirus vaccine, warning that there is "no evidence to be confident shots prevent transmission" and that people who receive the vaccine should continue wearing masks and following all social distancing and travel guidelines. The comments were made by WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan during what appears to have been a virtual press conference held December 28th.
- "At the moment, I don't believe we have the evidence on any of the vaccines, to be confident that it's going to prevent people from getting the infection and passing it on,"
Of course, a close look at the research released by Pfizer and Moderna shows the studies haven't actually tested whether the vaccines actually prevent transmission of the virus; the goal of the trials was to see whether vaccinated patients presented with COVID symptoms at a rate that was substantially less frequent than individuals who hadn't been vaccinated. That's pretty much it. Though the data might hint at lowering transmission rates, that's still to be decided, apparently.
The doctor went on to explain that there's no evidence to suggest that those who have been vaccinated wouldn't be a risk if they traveled to a foreign country, say Australia, with relatively low COVID rates.
At this point, it might be helpful for the WHO to produce some kind of clarification that either offers substantially more context to explain this remark.
But we suspect they won't.
Why? Well, perhaps because that context might undermine certain government officials' insistence that there's absolutely no reason to question the efficacy, and potential side effects (both long-term, and short) tied to the new COVID-19 vaccines.
Nearly all inmates in Alaska’s largest prison have contracted Covid-19
A spokesperson for the state’s department of corrections, Sarah Gallagher, told the Anchorage Daily News that an estimated 1,115 prisoners of the total 1,236 prisoners at the Goose Creek correctional center had tested positive. Of the more than 275,000 prisoners to be infected, more than 1,700 have died. The total number of cases is probably higher because not every prisoner has been tested. Prison staff have also been disproportionately affected by Covid-19.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/30/alaska-prison-inmates-contract-covid
Washington begins vaccinating prison staff, inmates for COVID-19
The Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) has begun vaccinating some prison workers and inmates for coronavirus. DOC says it has received limited COVID-19 vaccine doses, and vaccinations began for certain inmates and workers in the Phase 1A prioritization, which is based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Washington State Department of Health.
VADOC reports 4 COVID-19 offender deaths at Augusta Correctional Center
As of 5 p.m. on Tuesday, December 29, the Virginia Department of Corrections’ (VADOC) COVID-19 data dashboard reports four offenders at Augusta Correctional Center who tested positive for the coronavirus have died. VADOC also reports the facility is currently housing 112 offenders on-site who have tested positive for COVID-19. Nine offenders who have tested positive for the virus are currently being held in hospitals.
Rhode Island inmates receive COVID-19 vaccine
Inmates at Rhode Island Department of Corrections are being vaccinated against COVID-19, a spokesperson confirmed with NBC 10 News. It comes as the ACI has experienced significant virus outbreaks, leading to the deaths of two inmates and one correctional officer. It comes just one day before nursing homes will receive the vaccine.
https://turnto10.com/news/local/ri-inmates-receive-covid-19-vaccine
Four more Colorado prisoners die after coronavirus infections, bringing pandemic total to 24
Four Colorado prison inmates have died since Wednesday after apparently contracting COVID-19, bringing the total number of prisoners in the state whose deaths have been linked to the coronavirus to 24.
https://coloradosun.com/2020/12/28/coronavirus-prison-deaths-colorado-24/
Israeli minister orders not to vaccinate Palestinian prisoners
Despite Health Ministry’s directive to be vaccinated, Israeli Public Security Minister Amir Ohana ordered that Palestinian security prisoners would not be inoculated, Israeli newspaper Haaretz revealed. The office of the Israeli minister stated that only prison staff should be vaccinated because “there should be no inoculating security prisoners without approval and in line with vaccination progress among the general population.” Likud minister Ohana's statement did not single out Palestinian inmates. However, there are no non-Palestinian security prisoners in Israel.
https://ppost24.com/post/1001/israeli-minister-orders-not-to-vaccinate-palestinian-prisoners