BCJ Pandemic Update: A Periodic News Round-up on the Broome County Jail during the COVID-19 Crisis
From Andy Pragacz, for JUST
Early this morning Legal Services of Central New York (LSCNY) attorney Josh Cotter filed a writ of habeas corpus in an effort to have five people incarcerated in the Broome County released due to elevated risk of death from COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Two are over 60 years old. Three others have serious respiratory, pulmonary, heart, and/or liver problems. The five men are either pretrial detainees held for minor offense charges and/or parole violations or sentenced on similarly minor offense. Justice and Unity in the Southern Tier and other organizations worked with LSCNY to identity at risk people incarcerated, seeking to realize our collective demand to release vulnerable people from inherently dangerous jails. The motion is supported by declarations of three doctors with specifies in correctional health, internal medicine, and infectious diseases. See attached legal filings for more information. Josh Cotter is available to talk with the press my emailing jcotter@lscny.org.
The immediate release of people held in the Broome County jail, especially those who have serious medical conditions or are aged, is increasing necessary. At Riker’s Island alone, 321 staff members and 273 incarcerated people have tested positive for COVID-19 with hundreds more in the state prison system, including the heard of the state corrections union. At least two incarcerated people have died in New York State, according to an email from the Releasing Aging People in Prison (RAPP) who held a vigil at Sing Sing last week, due the virus and at least one correction’s officer. In Broome County at least one corrections officer has tested positive and reports from inside the jail note the rising number of people shifted to medical quarantine.
As the virus spreads rapidly throughout jails and prisons across the state prison and jails have instituted lockdowns and restricted movement to uncleaned showers and one daily phone call only. While these seem like commonsense precautions, longtime prisoners note that social distancing in carceral facilities is “impossible” due to poor ventilation or cells connected through the ventilation system, sharing of facilities, common kitchens, and generally tight quarters. Terrified prisoners have reported abuse at the hands of security staff facilitated by decreased communication access to the outside, in addition to poor health precautions.
The only solution to the this public health emergency for incarcerated people, corrections officers, and the community at large is decarceration and rehousing in clean facilities outside the jail.
BC Jail News Roundup. These data are taken from various reliable contacts whose identities will be kept anonymous out of fear of retribution. Information is also taken and supported/verified by online informational sources. News agencies that wish to use this information but require confirmation or people who have more information about jail conditions and releases should contact justice.southern.tier@gmail.com. We encourage the dissemination of the information listed below.
- At least one more identifiable person was removed from general population housing units over the weekend, with some reports that as many as eight were removed to medical quarantine.
- The first person moved to quarantine has a medical condition that puts him at greater risk to death due to COVID-19. He as reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.
- Reports have not indicated that no incarcerated has been removed to local hospitals.
- At least one general housing unit is on full lockdown as of Friday, with incarcerated people only able to exit their cells to for daily shower and phone call. They are not allowed outside the facility for fresh air nor to use video calls.
- Showers are not being cleaned after each use.
- Incarcerated people are not being notified by jail staff if they were in contact with infected corrections officer after he test positive and before the Friday lockdown. This is one way that virus could have spread to the incarcerated population.
- Prior to the lockdown it was reported that social distancing directives were not being enforced in the jail amongst the staff or incarcerated populations.
- Prior to Friday, jail staff was testing incarcerated people who worked in the kitchens and in other parts of the jail. Generally, incarcerated workers are sentenced people represent a minority of people (only 76 of 286 people held in the jail on a daily average were sentenced in March 2020, according to NYS data).
Denalism=Death
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