In the current climate of social lockdown, how should the
government tackle the environments in which social distancing is
not possible? BCL’s Bethan Cowlam discusses
Coronavirus’s impact on the UK prison system.
In the wake of the first death of a British inmate who had
contracted coronavirus at HMP Littlehey, the government updated its
guidance for prisons in England and Wales. They outlined measures
of personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff, and protective
isolation and 'cohorting' (the gathering of potentially
infected individuals into a certain area) of inmates. The guidance
also states that only severely unwell individuals should be
transferred to a healthcare facility; those who are clinically well
enough to remain in prison should do so.
