Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Coronavirus (COVID-19) has profoundly impacted correctional facilities, requiring significant adaptations to protect the health of inmates, staff, and visitors. This section offers articles that examine the response to the COVID-19 pandemic within correctional systems, including containment strategies, vaccination efforts, and the long-term implications for prison health care. Understanding the effects of COVID-19 on correctional operations is essential for professionals navigating this ongoing public health challenge. For related information, explore resources on Correctional Healthcare.
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
One of their complaints is a call for testing of inmates and staff at the Androscoggin County Jail
A report alleges FCC Oakdale failed to comply with the guidance from the CDC and BOPs’ headquarters for isolating and quarantining inmates
The inmates, who are being paid $2 an hour, are working “to assist with the overflow of bodies awaiting autopsy”
Lisa Montgomery’s attorneys tested positive for COVID-19 after they flew to visit her at the prison last month
In recent weeks, the virus has made inroads in all 11 state prisons, infecting hundreds of inmates and staff
“This temporary modification will help protect the health and safety of staff and detainees,” the sheriff’s office said
Sheriff Tom Dart adamantly defended the “heroic” job his staff has done with containing the virus among detainees in their custody
About another 1,000 inmates nearing the end of their sentences will also be released early in the following weeks through January
Bernard Waddell Sr. was not given any personal protective equipment from March until his last day of work
When staff have been tested, they have been coming back positive more than half the time
Until last week, El Paso County jail inmates weren’t provided masks unless they were walking through the facility or going to court
The report found that Texas has had significantly more staff deaths from COVID-19 than any other prison system
Officials called on the BOP to halt transfers to Fort Dix until it implements a testing strategy and there are no active cases
The lockdown was ordered after 93 inmates and seven staff members tested positive
Among staff, 1,126 DOC employees have self-reported testing positive, with 256 of those cases active
Officials say they’re following CDC guidelines despite criticism from those held inside since the first outbreak began
Ninety-five inmates and nine employees are now confirmed to be infected, making it the state’s largest outbreak at a single site during the pandemic
Officials are releasing about 2,261 adults, more than the governor’s office previously estimated, and 50 juveniles
Twenty-two inmates and five staff members at Goose Creek Correctional Center have tested positive
The proposed legislation comes after nearly 900 COs appealed the DOC’s “chronic absence” designation
Visits were suspended in mid-March to prevent COVID-19 from spreading in prisons
The outbreak at the Western Region Detention Facility follows an outbreak at another federal jail in downtown San Diego
No inmates sentenced to serve time at state corrections facilities will be accepted until further notice
A CDCR spokeswoman said they will not transfer anyone into a facility with active COVID-19 cases
The group claims the DOC isn’t enforcing its mask requirement, providing inmates adequate soap and cleaning supplies or properly quarantining inmates
A recent outbreak at Elmira Correctional Facility has been the main contributor to the spike in cases among inmates
Of Oregon’s 13,129 inmates statewide, a total of 1,225 have been infected; an additional 294 prison employees have tested positive
The department sent out a memo announcing more employees would have to get fit-tested as part of the prisons’ COVID-19 protocols
Unspent CARES Act dollars represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity to address a persistent gap in corrections capacity: onsite medical facilities
A SaaS-based software system enabled critical information sharing between the 36 member organizations of the Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association
