Family members, corrections officers urge NY to avoid another virus surge in jails, prisons
Family members of incarcerated New Yorkers and corrections officers are calling on the state’s lawmakers and governor to ensure prisons and jails won’t again face a staffing shortage, barriers to social distancing and dangerous rationing of protective gear ahead of the next COVID-19 surge or pandemic.
Testing of people with symptoms at the state’s prisons and New York City jails revealed thousands of COVID-19 infections among incarcerated individuals and guards, who called on the state and New York City to act at a Tuesday legislative hearing.
Inmates struggled to socially distance, wash their hands, access hand sanitizer and get their hands on masks and other face coverings in the early days of the pandemic, according to Jermaine Barrett, who said he was released July 28 from a maximum security prison north of New York City.
“Initially when everything was shut down, more or less we were left to our own devices,” Barrett said.