Social distancing is the, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
But in today's prisons鈥攄esigned in the late-18th century to 鈥攕ocial distancing is virtually impossible except for those in solitary confinement. At any given time, nearly. The facilities to house these individuals include 110 federal prisons and 1,833 state prisons. More than 55,000.
The, with 698 people imprisoned for every 10,000 residents, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. The Department of Justice in a 2020 report stated are, on average, 12% to 19% higher than the prisons' rated capacity. Overcrowding like this breeds higher contagion rates, increases the likelihood of , and can spell a . When combined, it's a perfect storm for the spread of a virus such as COVID-19.
As of June 1, there were more than 10,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among staff at U.S. jails and prisons and over 43,000 confirmed cases among residents at those facilities, according to the , spearheaded by Professor Sharon Dolovich. The project is monitoring cases and deaths of residents in prisons and jails, as well as local correctional departments' responses to the pandemic, such as the release of prisoners. mined that data (updated as of June 1, 2020) to take a closer look at COVID-19 outbreaks in prisons and jails across the country. In basic terms, jail refers to a place that holds individuals who are being temporarily held for minor offenses or awaiting trial; prisons hold those who have been convicted of crimes and sentenced.
Because inmate access to COVID-19 testing and reporting of these results vary wildly from state to state, actual numbers of cases and deaths are likely higher. While such widespread testing remains out of reach for many prison population and staff, . In Ohio, among inmates and staff. Elsewhere, . Complicating matters is the fact that that put them at more risk for serious symptoms from COVID-19. There are also many people going in and out of prisons all the time鈥攆rom corrections officers and food service workers to visitors and inmates themselves, increasing the likelihood of spreading contagions. The only recommend tests for current inmates exhibiting symptoms.
Keep reading to see where outbreaks of COVID-19 have occurred, and how various states are dealing with these surges, whether by increasing testing, halting visitation, or releasing nonviolent or elderly offenders鈥攁s was the case with .
