By Sarah Sinning
This Friday, May 14 at 7:00 p.m. EDT, One Voice United will host a virtual vigil to honor the men and women in corrections who have lost their lives in the line of duty due to COVID-19.
While an average year sees 11 LODDs among corrections officers, the pandemic has shattered this stastistic: 218 corrections officers and 41 non-custody employees have died in the line of duty over the past year.
“Correctional officers and staff showed up as frontline essential workers while too often lacking the proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), hazard pay, and medical safety measures to protect themselves and incarcerated individuals from COVID-19,” reads a statement from the organization. “Their work, often unnoticed and unrecognized by the general public, carried deadly risks borne by countless essential workers across the country.”
During the vigil, which will stream live on Facebook, corrections officers and labor leaders from across the country will join together to recognize each of their sacrifices.
For more information about the Medal of Honor Vigil, visit the One Voice United website.
Learn more about these fallen officers in our 2020 special coverage