Sick and Shut In: Incarceration During a Public Health Crisis

Abstract

COVID-19, the latest infectious coronavirus disease, was discovered in December of 2019 in Wuhan, China, and has rapidly reached pandemic levels. The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have released recommendations to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, including hand washing, covering coughs, and social/physical distancing, but what happens to those who are incarcerated? Over 1.4 million adults in the United States are currently incarcerated in state and federal prisons and over 80,000 individuals are incarcerated in local jails. Correctional settings are often deprived, overcrowded, and unsanitary environments, which do not lend themselves to the prevention, treatment, or recovery from illness. Incarcerated individuals are at a much higher risk to become infected due to a variety of factors, such as generally higher rates of chronic conditions than the community and overall lack of screening for certain illnesses. The present article discusses how smart decarceration tactics, such as compassionate release, offer options to compensate for overcrowding in correctional facilities and reducing the spread of COVID-19.