COVID-19 in the North American Prison System and the Public Health Response to the Epidemic

Abstract

With a sharp increase in the number of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases worldwide, one of the hardest hit institutions are high-density prison systems. Incarcerated individuals are at a disproportionate disadvantage of contracting COVID-19 due to their previous medical history of underlying conditions, the densely packed quarters they reside in, as well as increased contact with correctional staff who frequently go in and out of prisons. This calls for public health efforts to ensure that there are guidelines in place in order to manage COVID-19 in the prison systems in a structured manner, and to reduce mortality related to the disease among prisoners. The current public health response has been to follow recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as push towards decarceration of those individuals who are least likely to re-offend. Finally, with continued vaccination rollouts, researchers encourage priority vaccination of both prison staff and prisoners in order to control the COVID-19 outbreaks.