Pennsylvania prisons ratcheting up efforts to combat covid-19 outbreaks
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A second inmate tested positive for covid-19 at a state prison located just outside of Philadelphia Tuesday night, Pennsylvania Secretary of Corrections John Wetzel announced Wednesday.
Four prison staffers also have tested positive for the virus, he said. Citing Department of Health privacy concerns, Wetzel declined to say where those people work.
The state corrections department, which oversees 44,500 inmates in 25 prisons across the state, is working to limit the spread of covid-19, Wetzel said in a teleconference with Pennsylvania media. His update came as the statewide tally for covid-19 climbed to 5,805 people in 60 counties, including 74 deaths attributed to the disease.
He said guidelines for a quarantine invoked Monday call for inmates to be confined largely to their cells and released to common areas in groups of no more than 10 at a time. In normal times, Wetzel said as many as 50 inmates at a time might be released for meals.
He conceded, however, that social distancing is hard to observe in a prison system where most inmates are double-bunked in 100-square-foot cells.
Both inmate advocates and the union that represents correctional officers have raised concerns about the potential for a fast-moving outbreak in the prisons. The Pennsylvania Association of Correctional Officers tweeted specific concerns about the potential for the spread of the virus during inmate transfers.
So, why is @CorrectionsPA insisting on bringing in new inmates from counties while the rest of our commonwealth is virtually on lockdown? Inmate transfers should be suspended during this pandemic. It makes no sense and jeopardizes the health of officers, staff and inmates. https://t.co/BdlGBr5n9e
— PA State Corrections Officers Association (@PA_SCOA) March 29, 2020
Acknowledging that, Wetzel said beginning this week all new commitments are being housed in quarantine for 14 days at SCI Retreat.He said the facility in eastern Pennsylvania was chosen because it was nearly empty as it is being prepared for closing in June — a process started prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Those plans are now on hold as officials attempt to reduce the prison population and stave off the highly contagious infection in the prison system.
All employees are being screened as they enter the prisons. Enhanced screening are performed on inmates who have had any connections to those who have tested positive for the virus, Wetzel said.
“There is a lot of angst with staff. They have families and the same things everyone in the public is experiencing, they’re experiencing,” he said. “But folks are rallying. Even our negative incidents in the institutions are going down. Us versus them is now us versus the virus.”
With the closing of state courts, a reduction in new prisoners and efforts to expedite pending releases of those who are eligible and identify non-violent offenders who have served their minimum terms, Wetzel said the total prison population declined by 574 inmates in March.
Those efforts are continuing, even as officials in county lock-ups across the state work at similar programs. In Allegheny County alone, officials said 622 inmates were released from the county jail over the last two weeks.