Coronavirus in Confinement: Early releases and unprepared prison systems

By Gianna Perani

As America reaches more and more coronavirus cases, so do prisons. Eating lunch in a crowded room, living with multiple people in a small cell and not being able to properly sanitize are all parts of a struggling system. For many prisoners, social distancing simply isn’t possible.

According to the Bureau of Prisons, an agency task force began planning how to handle the coronavirus outbreak in January 2020. Inmate transfers and visits have been suspended for 30 days, and the extension is planned to be re-evaluated in the future.

With the average prison cell being six-by-eight feet, it might be hard to social distance from a cell mate. Fortune reports that almost 150,000 inmates will be locked in their prison cells for the next 14 days. A Louisiana penitentiary, FCC Oakdale, has struggled containing the virus, Ronald Morris told Fortune News.

Prison systems far and wide have handled the issue in various ways. According to CNN, prison staffers are fearing for the worst as proper equipment and staff lessen. Some high profile inmates such as Michel Cohen and Bernie Madoff have asked to be released from prison, as reported by Time.

What about across the globe?

The pandemic may have a bright side. According to the BBC, inmates in England “with two months or less still to serve will be released on temporary licence in stages.”. Northern Ireland has already set plans to release around 100 prisoners on Monday, April 4, according to the BBC.

“This government is committed to ensuring that justice is served to those who break the law. But this is an unprecedented situation because if coronavirus takes hold in our prisons, the NHS could be overwhelmed and more lives put at risk,” Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Robert Buckland QC told the BBC.

These prisoners might finally get a breath of fresh air, but only from behind a protective mask.