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.
Nearly 2,200 staff members were out sick late last week
“The mental health of our staff is in grave danger,” the union’s president said in a statement
That number includes 118 sworn employees who are at home after testing positive
Francine Earls, 56, who recently began working as a trip officer, worked at the Indiana Women’s Prison since 2018
Staffing problems, limited PPE and a lack of compliance with state directives by management has created a “perfect storm” for COs at Lansing Correctional Facility
The department is facing a class action lawsuit after more than 1,400 inmates were confirmed COVID-19 positive and 41 inmates have died
Gov. Phil Murphy said universal testing for corrections officers and inmates is expected to start as early as the end of next week
A corrections officer said a lack of PPE and inadequate staffing is taking a toll as the COVID-19 crisis enters May
Correctional institutions are uniquely susceptible to the rapid spread of disease
Residents say they’re concerned about how the Tarrant County Jail is handling the spread of COVID-19
Rose Goudy, who worked at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center for more than 20 years, was described as a mother figure to the employees at the facility
James Coleman, 53, who worked at the Middleton Unit in Abilene, got sick and collapsed at home
Relatives of both Carl Lenard, 62, and Stanton Johnson, 51, said the Richwood Correctional Center had at one point prevented them from wearing masks
New figures provided by the Bureau of Prisons show that out of 2,700 tests systemwide, nearly 2,000 have come back positive
As of Monday, 176 prisoners within jurisdiction of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and 120 employees had tested positive for COVID-19
Andrea Circle Bear, 30, died about a month after she was hospitalized with COVID-19 symptoms
More than 1,500 inmates have have been placed on home confinement, but prison officials will not give out any demographic information
Several criminal charges could apply to the case, including harassment with bodily fluids and assault
The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office created a special investigative unit to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 among personnel and inmates
Judge Matthew Kennelly’s order called on jail authorities to speak regularly to inmates to stress the importance of social distancing
Currently, 150 juveniles and 283 staff members at facilities nationwide have tested positive for the novel coronavirus
Tina Reeves, 58, a nurse at Pickaway Correctional Institution, is the second prisons’ employee to die during the pandemic
Coy D. Coffman Jr., 65, a nine-year TDCJ veteran, worked at the Barry B. Telford Unit
The state’s DOC director will now have the ability to consider early release for offenders with less than one year left to serve
Officer Gary Weinke, 67, is the first state corrections officer to die from COVID-19
Sonia Munoz, 38, a custody assistant at the Twin Towers jail in L.A., says she fears for her family’s safety once she leaves her desk job and returns to the line
The union president said Cuyahoga County Jail COs deserve hazard pay because they cannot avoid exposure to COVID-19
At least 81 inmates and 29 corrections officers have tested positive at the California Institution for Men
The work has expanded to Auburn Correctional Facility, which is now making about 200 coffins a week
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham argued she has taken sufficient steps to reduce the threat of COVID-19 to inmates
In a 5-4 decision, a court majority found the emergency petition by Columbia Legal Services had not proven the state is failing in its duties to incarcerated people
Health experts and criminal justice advocates are pushing for early inmate releases to alleviate crowding
The assistant director of Cook County Jail testified that more than 175 tiers in the facility have transitioned to single-cell housing to help stem the spread of COVID-19