COVID-19 has impacted many populations around the nation, particularly throughout the prison system. Unfortunately, such information rarely makes the national news because prisoners are seldom thought about, especially in dangerous times.
However, the impact on this population has been devastating. It is likely to only worsen with time even as the pandemic itself begins the early stages of winding down.
COVID Ran Like Wildfire in Prisons
When COVID started to arrive in prisons around the nation, the impact was immense and devastating. At the peak of its spread, up to 25,000 prisoners tested positive in a single week. And over 3,000 staff and prisoners have died in prisons due to COVID and its heavy impact.
This national news problem has been particularly devastating because the inmate population has increased by 500% in the last 40 years, even though crime rates have gone down heavily. The reasons for this increase are diverse and may be hard for some people to understand fully.
Part of this increase is tougher sentencing guidelines in many states. For example, places like Texas punish a third DWI offense as a third-degree felony. Those sentenced after such a crime can get up to 10 years in prison and no less than two for their crime, even if no one is hurt.
And many of these prisoners committed one or more of the 2.3-2.6 million robberies that occur every year in the nation. These individuals may have stolen from others, but undoubtedly they need and deserve medical attention if their life is at risk.
As a result, there is a considerable population of people through which COVID can spread in prisons. And while the cases are down significantly in prisons (just a few hundred new cases every week), the lingering effects may last a long time throughout the country's institutions.
How COVID Effects May Linger in Prisons
Though designed to be a uniquely sheltered environment to protect others from dangerous individuals, prisons have a high risk of severe disease spread. Many throughout the country are worried that new strains of COVID-19 could get into prisons and create new outbreaks.
Even worse, many prisoners within these prisons are still struggling with the long-term effects of COVID-19. These so-called 'long-termers' may struggle to breathe and end up in a prison's hospital wing for extended periods. And while the medical workers will do their best, such facilities are often understaffed and poorly equipped.
Sick and struggling prisoners also put a strain on the staff, many of whom likely had or will have COVID and are experiencing its short- and long-term symptoms. For example, a guard trying to help a sick patient may contract the virus and then spread it around before they even realize they are sick.
And staff members like teachers, doctors, cooks, and janitors may also find themselves exposed to these lingering problems. New strains or long-term symptoms may take them out of work and cause challenges in most prisons' usually a tightly-run experience.
Think of a prison as a self-contained world or city. Every component must work to the best of its abilities to keep the facility operating strongly. When even one of these factors goes out of whack, the whole suffers. For instance, even one sick janitor forces the others to either fill in for their hours or pick up the slack on their hours. As a result, they'll likely be worn out and tired – and the same thing could happen to others.
As a result, such national news must become better known to help highlight different ways that underrepresented populations can be helped. Criminals are people, too – and when many of them end up leaving after serving their time, they may end up resenting those who did little to protect them.
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