This page contains links to Covid-19 in prisons news from various sources and is updated daily. Use the filters to view articles from different regions/topics or use the search box to look for articles based on key words. Please note that these articles are from external sources and may not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of ICPA.
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Man dies of COVID-19 in Oregon prison, 7th since pandemic began
September 23, 2020
State officials say a man incarcerated in an Oregon prison has died after testing positive for COVID-19.
Five Luksar jail inmates donate plasma for Covid treatment
September 23, 2020
Five inmates from Luksar jail, who had recovered from Covid-19, donated their plasma on Tuesday to help other patients recover from the infection.
Wandsworth Prison living conditions deemed unacceptable
September 23, 2020
The board praised the prison’s governor, Graham Barrett, and staff for their response to the Covid-19 lockdown and their commitment in challenging conditions.
Coronavirus case at West Lothian Prison with close contacts told to self-isolate for 14 days
September 23, 2020
Specialist Covid-19 team identified the positive case among NHS staff at HMP Addiewell after carrying out contract tracing at the prison.
Federal lawmakers demand answers on COVID-19 conditions in Virginia prisons
September 23, 2020
A group of Virginia lawmakers are demanding answers from the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) about prison conditions amid the pandemic.
Some Oklahoma prison workers receive COVID-19 pay
September 22, 2020
The Oklahoma Department of Corrections announced Tuesday that workers inside a facility designated a hot spot will receive additional compensation.
Inmates’ families rally outside Lebanon’s largest prison amid reports of COVID-19 outbreak
September 22, 2020
Families of inmates rallied outside Lebanon’s largest prison to protest against the spread of COVID-19 inside the facility, Russia Today reported on its Arabic website.
UN recommends Ukraine grant amnesty to certain convicts amid COVID-19 pandemic
September 22, 2020
Head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine Matilda Bogner announced this in Kyiv while presenting the 30th report on human rights in Ukraine, which covers six months, from February 16, 2020 to July 31, 2020, an UNIAN correspondent reported on September 22.
COVID-19 shouldn’t be a get-out-of-jail-free card, Nunavut’s top judge rules
September 22, 2020
Harsher territorial jail conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic don’t always mean convicted offenders in Nunavut should get reduced sentences, Justice Neil Sharkey said in a written ruling released last week.
Being held in ‘awful’ Thompson RCMP cells during trial reason to reduce prison sentence, says judge
September 22, 2020
A week in one of the Thompson RCMP detachment holding cells is worth a couple of months in prison, a judge said while sentencing a God’s Lake Narrows man to life in prison without the possibility of parole for at least 15 years and 10 months.
Two COVID-19 cases at Tower Street prison
September 22, 2020
Two cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed at the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre in Kingston.
139 foreign prisoners demand talks with Embassy officials
September 22, 2020
Over 139 foreigners, who are currently remanded in T&T’s prisons and are participating in the current hunger strike, are now pleading with the relevant authorities to allow them to speak with officials from their respective Embassies.
NY Urged to Make Fixes To Avoid Another COVID Surge in Prisons and Jails
September 22, 2020
Family members of incarcerated New Yorkers and corrections officers are calling on the state’s lawmakers and governor to ensure prisons and jails won’t again face a staffing shortage, barriers to social distancing and dangerous rationing of protective gear ahead of the next COVID-19 surge or pandemic.
Federal Prison System’s COVID-19 Response Now Under Review
September 22, 2020
Spectrum News’s Watchdog Reporter Stephanie Coueignoux has been investigating this question for months, after three inmates and one staff member died from COVID-19 at FCC Coleman in Sumter County.
County jails faced with overcrowding problem due to effects of pandemic
September 22, 2020
TYLER, Texas (KLTV) – Among the places where the effects of COVID-19 are being felt the most: county jails. Not necessarily because of the spread of the virus, but the fact that’s it’s contributing to the overcrowding of jails. Among the reasons: delayed jury trials and required quarantine.
COVID-19 cases surpass 1000 in Folsom State Prison
September 22, 2020
Information released from the California Department of Corrections (CDCR), illustrates that the recent outbreak of COVID-19 inside Folsom State Prison has not slowed down in recent weeks with more than 1,000 inmates now having tested positive so far.
Maharashtra: Families of Prison Inmates with Co-morbidities and Age Issues Worried, Only Those Without Serious Offences Released
September 16, 2020
Activists have been demanding the release of prisoners on health grounds. So far, six inmates have died of COVID-19 in prisons across state and 1,772 prisoners have tested positive out of total 11,267 tests conducted as per the Prison Department data.
38 inmates, 2 jail personnel contract COVID
September 16, 2020
Thirty-eight inmates and two jail personnel – a custodian and a nurse – of the Iloilo City District Jail – Male Dormitory in Barangay Ungka, Jaro district tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Tasmanian Custodial Inspector releases report on rehabilitation in state’s prison system
September 16, 2020
Risdon Prison inmates have had education programs taken away this year due to frequent lockdowns at the complex.
How South African prisons are managing Covid-19
September 16, 2020
The pandemic has amplified the problem of overcrowding in prisons and while the number of infections are said to be on the decline, inmates continue to fear for their lives.
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