Coronavirus (COVID-19)
In December 2019, the CDC began monitoring an infectious disease outbreak caused by a new coronavirus strain first identified in Wuhan, China. On February 11, 2020, the World Health Organization announced an official name for the disease: COVID-19, which was officially named a pandemic on March 11, 2020.
The first case in the United States was announced on January 21, 2020, in the state of Washington. The first fatality in the United States was announced on February 28, 2020. Find COVID-19 breaking news, what corrections officers and staff need to know about the novel coronavirus, and tips for public safety leaders in how to prepare for and educate the public on the coronavirus here on Corrections1.
The Broward County sheriff’s deputies will be fired as they face charges of alleged $500,000 fraud from federal aid programs meant to cushion COVID-19 impact
Five former inmates secure a settlement against a jail doctor for administering ivermectin without their consent amid COVID-19
Sgt. Gilbert Polanco died from COVID-19 after state officials ordered the transfer of infected inmates into his prison from another facility
Local law enforcement officials say it could take months to address the backlog of hundreds of jail inmates in need of transfer
Lt. Steve Taylor died on Thursday in what the department describes as a line-of-duty death
States were authorized in August to start spending the money, a CDC spokesperson said
Inmates sued Dr. Robert Karas, along with Washington County Sheriff Tim Helder, for treating them with the controversial drug last month
Union officials are sounding the alarm as the state, like many, grapples with a staffing shortage
Staff have worked “60-hour weeks and 72-hour weeks, routinely,” Justice and Public Safety Secretary Kerry Harvey said
The person walked past armed security to gain access to the facility
The corrections guild president says officers are so exhausted from mandatory OT that they’re sleeping in empty cells between shifts
The Philadelphia Bail Fund said it plans to use the money later this month “to free as many people as possible”
Mayor Adams said the ultimatum is about safety, though this decision will likely impact the Correction Department particularly hard
As of Monday, more than 200 IDOC staff were out of work due to COVID-19
“The staff morale is the lowest I’ve seen in the 19 years I’ve worked for the bureau,” a union official said
“There is no sugarcoating the current situation in our prison facilities,” said union President Michael Powers
Sheriff Clarence Birkhead attributed the increase to new people entering the jail who have not been vaccinated
Gov. Phil Murphy criticized those who refuse to get the vaccine as “selfish,” likening it to drunk driving
Kirsten Liebendorfer is speaking out about the way her husband and his fellow COs are treated on the job
The sheriff authorized an additional $5 per hour for regular hours scheduled and worked
Court records say a judge on Jan. 5 ordered the man held without bail
Corrections Officer Melissa France’s death was due to “complications from a work-related illness,” the sheriff’s office said
The new order requires a booster dose to be considered fully vaccinated
COs at prisons operating under “contingency” staffing can now return to work five days after testing positive, even if still experiencing mild symptoms
As the N.C. prison system confronts omicron, Commissioner Todd Ishee addresses the challenges at hand
“We’ve got so much movement up and down the hallways — we need to stop that movement and get ahead of this,” said veteran CO Dennis Folk
“I am dedicated to the safety and security of this agency and will exhaust all efforts to ensure its success,” writes Sheriff Garry McFadden
That’s a 212% increase so far this month
With the new cameras in place, COs will instead have a workstation outside each cell block
“These conditions push officers to their limits, threatening their mental health, morale and safety,” said Sen. Jeff Irwin
“His resignation is an opportunity for new, reform-minded leadership at the Bureau of Prisons,” Sen. Dick Durbin said
The move exacerbates an ongoing staff shortage, the union president says
“It’s not if we have a detention officer stabbed or cut, it’s when,” Sheriff Chris Elliott said
MOST POPULAR
- 500 women at Texas federal prison test positive for COVID-19
- Roundtable: How COVID-19 challenged corrections in 2020
- Ohio state prison system to accept new inmates from county jails
- DOC employees describe ‘a perfect storm’ within Conn. prisons, jails
- 4 Texas prisons on lockdown due to possible COVID-19 exposures