‘Virus Goes In, Virus Goes Out’: Advocates Call For Release Of More Low-Level Prisoners To Stem Infection Rate
“You cannot defeat a plague or a pandemic outside of prisons if you let it run free inside the prisons, which is basically what’s happening,” said Van Jones, head of a criminal justice advocacy group. News on prisons is from Maine, Nevada, Maryland, California, and New York, as well.
The Hill:
Advocates Call On States To Release More Inmates Amid Pandemic
Advocacy groups and medical experts said Wednesday that governors should release more low-level criminals to help contain the spread of the coronavirus. The public health benefits, they argued, extend far beyond prison walls. Prisons have been a hotbed of coronavirus outbreaks since social distancing is nearly impossible given the number of shared cells and communal spaces. There’s also a severe lack of masks and gloves for inmates. (Bucchino, 5/20)
Bangor Daily News:
As Maine Prisons Record 1st Case Of Coronavirus, ‘We Need To Find It And Shut It Off Now’
The Maine Department of Corrections is waiting on test results for more than 120 inmates after one tested positive at a prison in Windham, the first step in determining whether a Cumberland County correctional facility is home to the state’s next coronavirus outbreak. (Andrews and Ferguson, 5/20)
Las Vegas Review-Journal:
Nevada Reports First Coronavirus Case Among State’s Prisoners
The Nevada Department of Corrections announced on Wednesday a “comprehensive” plan to test prisoners for the new coronavirus. Officials made the announcement shortly after the first case of a Nevada prisoner testing positive for the virus was reported. According to data from the Department of Health and Human Services, which was last updated Wednesday morning, an inmate at High Desert State Prison has tested positive for the virus. (Newberg, 5/20)
The Baltimore Sun:
Maryland To Test All Detainees, Staff At Prisons And Juvenile Facilities For Coronavirus
Following calls from prisoner advocates and employee unions, Maryland will undertake universal testing at state prisons and juvenile centers, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Wednesday. Six state prison inmates have died from the coronavirus so far, and hundreds of inmates and employees have tested positive for the virus. Juvenile facilities have also experienced outbreaks, including the Silver Oak Academy in Carroll County, where dozens of children and staff tested positive. (Wood and Jackson, 5/20)
The Guardian:
'People Are Sick All Around Me': Inside The Coronavirus Catastrophe In California Prisons
More than 3,200 prisoners in California have contracted Covid-19 and at least 16 inmates have died, in a public health catastrophe that advocates say was both predictable and preventable. Inmates and advocates told the Guardian that at six prisons and jails with rapidly escalating outbreaks, basic protocols to prevent the virus from spreading are being ignored, and that they fear imminent mass fatalities and hospitalizations. (Levin, 5/20)
CNN:
Michael Cohen To Be Released Thursday And Will Serve Remaining Prison Sentence At Home
President Donald Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen will be released early from prison on Thursday and is expected to serve out the remainder of his sentence at home as coronavirus continues to spread behind bars, according to a person familiar with the matter. Cohen will be released on furlough while he completes the process of being moved to home confinement, the person said. (Shortell and LeBlanc, 5/20)
