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.
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
Inmates banged on their windows as more than two dozen people called on judges to clear the prisons of inmates who have already served portions of their sentences
Officials said four staff members and 16 inmates have tested positive for the novel coronavirus
A doctor said the Metropolitan Correctional Center was infested with mice, rats and roaches, reflecting a “basic disregard for sanitation and infection control”
US District Judge Solomon Oliver rebutted an opinion from a doctor who said prison conditions could lead to an outbreak
The state has jailed 21,700 fewer people — nearly one-third of its daily population — in county lockups
The justices said they would review the arguments quickly but gave no timeline for a decision
Testing data indicates the Cook County Jail has moved beyond the stage of flattening the curve and into containment
Three Connecticut-based groups are helping released or soon-to-be-released vets navigate the process of reinstating their benefits and resolving any VA debts
Some say the $300-per-week bonuses for firefighters, police, EMS and COs should have also been given to hospital staff
A panel of medical and legal experts claim states have not done enough to reduce prison populations in response to the pandemic
“Every one of these deaths of a person just kills me. I hate it,” Annette Chambers-Smith, head of ODRC, said
Prisons are exploring the use of plexiglass table dividers in cafeterias and in-person visits won’t resume for some time
Mayor Martin Walsh’s comments came hours after a fatal shooting marked the fourth homicide in a week
An official said she hopes that will change as the state prepares its first mass tests of county correctional facilities
COs described medical staff limitations, haphazard hygiene procedures and confusion over COVID-19 tests and temperature checks in many facilities
The court is thrust into the fray as state and federal prisons nationwide have become hot spots for infections and illness
More than 600 employees systemwide have tested positive, along with more than 4,500 inmates
Prison employees are encouraged to get tested, but it isn’t mandatory and nobody is overseeing the effort
The executive order will not apply to attorneys who are visiting clients, or to religious leaders and clergy members
The inmates will be sent to one of three quarantine sites: FCC Yazoo City in Mississippi, FCC Victorville in California and FTC Oklahoma City
Roughly half of the detainees that were transferred from the Krome Detention Center to Broward Transitional Center tested positive for COVID-19
Sheriff Alex Villanueva didn’t show up to a meeting, despite a subpoena demanding he answer questions about the spread of COVID-19 behind bars
A union representing corrections officers has repeatedly pressed for more PPE and testing in the facilities
A total of 373 staff members and 684 inmates within the Department of Correction have tested positive for COVID-19
Seven staff members and 25 inmates at the Avenal State Prison tested positive and are now isolated
Lexipol’s Senior Grants Consultants Samantha Dorm and Jerry Brant answer questions about available funds for public safety agencies
“Every day, corrections officers suit up and go in. Do we feel safe? I don’t think anybody feels safe,” a NY CO union president said
Miami-Dade appears to have tested far more inmates, about one-third of those incarcerated, than other penal institutions
“They felt that they had not been given their individualized COVID-19 test results from our private healthcare provider,” MDOC spokesman Chris Gautz said
Dewane “Pete” Gannon, 58, worked as a corrections officer at the Correctional Reception Center for 10 years
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