Growing reports of growing numbers of prisoners and staffers testing positive for COVID-19

Criminal justice and public health experts have known for some time now that it was only a matter of time before the coronavirus epidemic made its way to prisons and jails.  Here are just some headlines I have seen showing surely just some of the locations where these issues are very real right now:

In the United States

• Federal: “Workers at federal prisons sound the alarm as system confirms two coronavirus cases“

• Georgia: “DOC employee contracts COVID-19 amid calls for prison depopulation” 

• Michigan: “Two prison employees diagnosed with COVID-19 in Michigan“

• New Jersey: “Bergen County Jail Corrections Officer Tests Positive for COVID-19“

• New York: “NYC Officials Call for Release of ‘Most at Risk’ on Rikers Island as More Test Positive for Virus“

• New York: “Coronavirus: Westchester jail employee under quarantine after positive test“

Internationally

• England: “Coronavirus will ‘rampage through prisons’ warns ex-governor as first inmate tests positive“

• Iran: “Iran’s Khamenei to pardon 10,000 prisoners ahead of Nowruz“

• Israel: “4 Palestinian prisoners infected with COVID-19, says NGO“

• Scotland: “Prisoners diagnosed with coronavirus in Kilmarnock prison“