As businesses and governments scramble to contain the
coronavirus pandemic ("COVID-19"), one segment of society
is uniquely vulnerable: the prison population. Poor hygiene,
limited medical resources, overcrowding, and prohibitions on
over-the-counter medical supplies such as hand sanitizer make
corrections facilities and immigration processing centers very
susceptible to the disease. It presents a serious threat to the
prison system and could quickly escalate into a disaster if
immediate steps are not taken.
Lawmakers have taken notice. This week, fifteen U.S. Senators
wrote a letter to Michael Carvajal, the director of
the Bureau of Prisons ("BOP"), inquiring into the steps
the agency is taking to protect inmates and staff and what
preparations it was making should the virus reach any federal or
privately operated facility. While no prisons have reported an
outbreak of COVID-19, now is the time for federal and state
officials to take preventive action.
