Report

COVID-19 in Correctional and Detention Facilities - United States, February–April 2020

Wallace, Megan, Griffin, Phillip, Brown, Catherine M, Lawrence, Robert T, Strick, Lara, Diedhiou, Abdoulaye, Handanagic, Senad, Pattee, Brittany, Philips, Grace, Lucas, Kimberley, Allord, Matt, Davidson, Sherri L, Marlow, Mariel, McCotter, Orion, Bjork, Adam, Barbeau, Bree, Ortbahn, Dustin, McLaughlin, Joseph, Sosa, Lynn, Hutchinson, Justine, Hagan, Liesl, Holsinger, Caroline, Clayton, Joshua L, Selvage, David, Patil, Naveen, Simonson, Sean, Rowe, Devin, Butterfield, Marilee, Staley, E Michele, Weinberg, Meghan, Jara, Amanda, Curran, Kathryn G, Howell, Molly, Kariko, Sara, Williams, Samantha P, Mannell, Mike, Tillman, Courtney, Cranford, Hannah, Kwit, Natalie A, Donahue, Matthew, Smoyer, Stephanie, McCombs, Katherine G, Sanders, Kelsey, Hesham, Soliman, Bell, Linda, Morrison, Andrea, Lee, Anthony, Pringle, Julia C, Villalobos, Raul, James, Allison E, Shelley, Ellen

2020

Overview

Wallace et al discuss the COVID-19 cases in correctional and detention facilities in the US from February to April 2020. An estimated 2.1 million US adults are housed within approximately 5,000 correctional and detention facilities on any given day. Many facilities face significant challenges in controlling the spread of highly infectious pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Such challenges include crowded dormitories, shared lavatories, limited medical and isolation resources, daily entry and exit of staff members and visitors, continual introduction of newly incarcerated or detained persons, and transport of incarcerated or detained persons in multiperson vehicles for court-related, medical, or security reasons. During Apr 22-28, 2020, aggregate data on COVID-19 cases were reported to CDC by 37 of 54 state and territorial health department jurisdictions. Thirty-two (86%) jurisdictions reported at least one laboratory-confirmed case from a total of 420 correctional and detention facilities. Among these facilities, COVID-19 was diagnosed in 4,893 incarcerated or detained persons and 2,778 facility staff members, resulting in 88 deaths in incarcerated or detained persons. Prompt identification of COVID-19 cases and consistent application of prevention measures are critical to protecting incarcerated and detained persons and staff members.

• Publisher: U.S. Center for Disease Control
• Subject: Adults / Aggregate data / Coronaviruses / Correctional institutions / Courts / COVID-19 / Deaths / Departments / Detention / Disease control / Disease prevention / Disease transmission / Epidemics / Hospitalization / Imprisonment / Jurisdiction / Lavatories / Medical laboratories / Personal health / Prevention programs / Prisoners / Public health / Quarantine / Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 / Surveillance / Viral diseases / Viruses / Visitors