COVID-19 Takes a Painful Toll on Broward Inmates
BOCA RATON, Fla.- In the height of a global pandemic, the incarcerated are unlikely to be on the forefront of public consciousness. Voices of concern have recently arisen, however, over the treatment of prisoners in Broward County.
As of May 1, Broward has reported 5,144 cases of the coronavirus, according to the Florida Department of Health. This is the second-highest of any county within the state of Florida.
Broward, alongside Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties, have enforced some of the strictest regulations in the state. They have been excluded by Governor Ron DeSantis in his plans for re-opening Florida, due to the number of cases concentrated in these areas.
The guidelines implemented in Broward include protocol for prison facilities, as outlined by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
A spokesperson for the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BCO), Sgt. Donald Prichard, said in a statement that facilities have enforced social distancing, banned in-person visitation, and ensured hygienic standards, among other practices.
“An inmate who has tested positive will be medical isolated, treated and monitored in accordance with the Florida Department of Health and CDC guidelines,” Prichard stated.
In response to the pandemic, BSO has also begun to release inmates to lessen the prison population. As a result, the number of inmates has dropped to below 3,000 for the first time in several decades, according to Rafael Olmeda of the Sun Sentinel.
In spite of these changes, skepticism regarding how effective these changes have been and whether or not they have actually been implemented has emerged recently. Critics state that the current conditions within Broward County jails are inadequate and inhumane.
In previous decades, Broward County jails have been infamous for their substandard conditions. In 1995, under Carruthers v. Tony, a consent decree was issued, verifying that the living conditions within Broward County facilities were unsuitable for inmates to live in.
Since then, Broward County has attempted to limit the federal oversight they have been subjected to, to no avail. Concern over the treatment of inmates has only persisted.
In just December of 2019, Ben Conarck and Romy Ellenbogen of the Miami Herald reported on two deaths that occurred within the Broward County Jail system, just a day apart. One was a man who allegedly committed suicide, and another whose death is being treated as suspicious.
In the last year alone, the Broward Public Defender’s Office sent three letters to the BSO, each detailing various reports of medical neglect within the facilities. The BSO has defended itself and stated that the majority of the allegations have been unsubstantiated.
The spread of the coronavirus over the past month has only served to highlight the alleged mistreatment that inmates have endured.
Efforts to bring to light these conditions have been largely spearheaded by Broward Public Defender Howard Finkelstein and Chief Assistant Gordon Weekes. In a letter to Sheriff Greg Tony, Finkelstein and Weekes accused the BSO of allowing prison staff to be negligent of detainees.
Inmates allegedly have been denied access to medical assistance, as well as basic necessities such as water. Some have been threatened with a Taser, including an inmate with a heart condition, according to Finkelstein and Weekes.
In a statement on April 24, BSO general counsel Terrence Lynch refuted the claims of Finkelstein and Weekes. He declared them to be false and lacking investigation.
Additionally, in spite of the many inmates released from prison in the wake of the pandemic, not all have been granted this luxury. Headlines have recently arisen after an inmate, Raúl Ponce Jr., was denied release from prison despite testing positive for the coronavirus.
Ponce Jr., who has several charges including burglary and drug trafficking, is at increased risk from complications from the virus because he suffers from asthma.
Broward inmates are vulnerable compared to the general population, given that their living conditions are entirely dependent upon the BSO. Whether or not the living conditions are as reported, the only factor protecting them is the Broward Public Defender’s Office.
So, what is the solution to this divisive issue? Finkelstein and Weekes have proposed that all inmates must be tested.
In their letter to Tony, they stated, “As this crisis unfolds, you will be judged on how you protect the people in your care, and the persons you entrust with their lives.”
As of April 25, 22 inmates within Broward facilities have tested positive for the coronavirus and one has died from their symptoms.
