Prisons and Jails Hit Hard by COVID-19
November 13, 2020
Looking at how COVID-19 has affected US prisons and jails, the Washington Post reports that more than 173,000 incarcerated people nationwide have been infected and almost 1,300 have died, with the rates of both infection and death outpacing those of the general population. Earlier in Issues, four researchers detailed similar evidence that “exposes a broken prison system.” They called for changing the current system of mass incarceration—notably, reducing the number of people imprisoned—to stem the pandemic’s impact on incarcerated populations, correctional staff, and outside communities.