Advocates have long feared that detention facilities were at a substantial risk for Coronavirus (COVID-19). The close quarters and lack of resources like adequate hygiene necessities inside of jails and prions are a big driver of this concern. For the most part, detention centers have not seen dramatic and widespread outbreaks of the virus so far, likely due in part to the isolated nature of such facilities, as well as preventative measures taken by many facilities.
Still, jails and prison will not be immune for long, especially as arrests and pre-trial detention continue.
From Frank Green at Richmond Times Dispatch:
As three prisoners at the Virginia Correctional Center for Women tested positive for COVID-19, an offender there said the inmates are suffering and advocates fear the state’s largest prison for women, the Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women, is a tinderbox.
The Virginia Department of Corrections said late Tuesday that in addition to the three inmates, three department employees and one contractor have also tested positive – a contract nurse and an officer in training at the VCCW, an officer at the Indian Creek Correctional Center, and an employee at the Norfolk Probation and Parole office.
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If you or a family member are facing charges or have been arrested during this Coronavirus crisis, contact our office and talk to our attorneys Farheena Siddiqui and Brian Szmak and see how we can help.
