States Are Shutting Down Prisons as Guards are Crippled By Covid-19

**LifeTraveler** · #1 01-03-2021, 08:13 AM

Battered by a wave of coronavirus infections and deaths, local jails and state prison systems around the United States have resorted to a drastic strategy to keep the virus at bay: Shutting down completely and transferring their inmates elsewhere.

From California to Missouri to Pennsylvania, state and local officials say that so many guards have fallen ill with the virus and are unable to work that abruptly closing some correctional facilities is the only way to maintain community security and prisoner safety.

The rest of the article can be found here.

Free At Last 5 · #2 01-03-2021, 08:27 AM

Given the known lack of medical care available in most prisons and jails, shouldn’t prisoners and staff be a high priority for vaccine distribution? At a bare minimum, governments have the moral obligation to protect the lives of those they incarcerate. Surely not politically popular, but it’s a societal obligation, period.

**sidewalker** · #3 01-03-2021, 09:22 AM

Its really scary. I know of at least 2 deaths at our county jail. But many more at the elder care homes. Staff and patients. I think its over half of our *death toll*

We just added 12 new deaths this past week. total deaths in our county is 196. Average new cases are 232 per day.
Now with the newer more contagious version.......I shudder to think of it.

Jacob's Girl · #4 01-03-2021, 09:24 AM

I know my man's facility has locked down to loan their CO's to other facilities. They are also transferring inmates to other facilities, and we didn't understand why. I feel really stupid for not seeing this as the reason. DUH! Hmmmm....

And what do they do when they run out of room? CO's? I foresee bad circumstances arising. And even worse choices.

**onedayatatime13** · #5 01-03-2021, 09:24 AM

6 inmates have died in NYS over the last 3 weeks. Percentage wise is higher than at the heart of the pandemic.

COs getting it is higher than before as well. It is facility by facility. The Union releases the numbers, but DOCCS won't. Interesting battle to watch.

Matt'sAngel · #6 01-13-2021, 01:38 PM

So Scary! The situation only seems to be getting worse.

I worry constantly.

**onedayatatime13** · #7 01-13-2021, 01:41 PM

We are at 10 inmates dead in NYS.

ambermarshall11 · #8 01-13-2021, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onedayatatime13

We are at 10 inmates dead in NYS.

This is starting to get outta control now they need to start doing something and fast like releasing these inmates and not 90 days before their release date either it seems they stopped doing that were in june it's getting scary now