Coronavirus takes unprecedented toll on the nation’s criminal justice system
By Rachael Jones
Preventing the spread of the coronavirus is much more challenging among the United States inmate population than in the rest of the country. The close proximity of inmates makes social distancing nearly impossible, and most alcohol-based sanitizers are banned as contraband. But as the coronavirus continues to spread throughout the nation’s correctional facilities, many questions arise about the preparedness of jails and prisons to contain its spread.
According to the Washington Post, health experts have been warning for years that jails and prisons are ideal environments for epidemic outbreaks. The CDC’s guidance for COVID-19 in correctional facilities identifies inmates as more susceptible to chronic diseases and warns that options for medical isolation of COVID-19 cases are more limited in correctional facilities.
The severity of this issue originated at a federal prison in Louisiana, according to the Associated Press. As the number of coronavirus cases in the state grows rapidly, FCC Oakdale has reported three deaths and nearly 20 hospitalized cases.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons oversees 121 facilities across the country, with over 174,000 inmates and 36,000 staff members. Over 10,000 of the inmates are older than 60, a demographic the CDC has labeled as more susceptible to the coronavirus.
Effective April 1, the BOP implemented a plan to contain inmates to their assigned cells for a 14-day period to curb the spread of the virus.
BOP spokeswoman Sue Allison issued a statement saying the bureau has taken inventory of hand soap available in each of its 121 facilities across the country. Allison told CNN that, “an ample amount of supply is on hand and ready to be distributed or moved to any facility as deemed necessary.”
But many regional facilities are expressing concern over a lack of cleaning, sanitation and medical supplies. A federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida told CNN the facility was experiencing a shortage of gloves and masks for staffers. When they requested more supplies, they were told the equipment was on backorder and have yet to receive the supplies.
Many individual states are taking action to suspend visitation to correctional facilities and limit criminal court proceedings. The Marshall Project has compiled data on these measures and reported that 15 states have suspended visitation to correctional facilities and 34 state court systems have suspended most in-person criminal trial hearings.
According to a CNN report, the defense attorney representing a man charged in New York for sex traffiking raised concerns about his trial. He feared that jurors would rush to a verdict too quickly to avoid having to come to the courthouse in a city crawling with coronavirus cases. The judge postponed the trial for two weeks.
Public defender groups in New York have advocated for the release of detainees in city jails, according to the New York Times. The detainees include those who are being held on parole violations, as well as those who are above 50 or have preexisting health conditions. Attorney General William Barr likewise directed federal prison officials to begin identifying non-violent, eldery, at-risk inmates who could serve the rest of their sentence in home confinement, according to USA Today.
When constitutional rights to a speedy trial are compromised for public safety and inmates are denied visitation rights, many questions still linger on the most effective course of action. Correctional facilities are already overcrowded and understaffed, according to the Washington Post. Now prison officials must make a difficult decision: leave non-violent offenders in facilities teaming with disease, or release potentially thousands of prisoners to the public.
