Inmates had been advised to maintain cleanliness but alcohol-based hand sanitiser is banned and even rags are hard to come by.
As the United States grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, there is concern not only for the elderly but also for another vulnerable population: prisoners.
Inmates had been advised to maintain cleanliness but alcohol-based hand sanitiser is banned and even rags are hard to come by, he said. The US has some 2.2 million people behind bars, nearly one-fourth of the world’s entire prison population. Their appeal gained urgency this week when the local press reported guards have tested positive for coronavirus at Rikers Island and Sing Sing prisons in New York state.Federal prisons hold about 175,000 inmates and most of the US prison population is housed in state facilities or local jails.
“Public health experts recognize that there is a heightened risk of infection for people who are involved in the criminal legal system,” said Udi Ofer, director of the ACLU’s Justice Division. “Downsizing the footprint of the criminal legal system should be a part of the COVID-19 public health response.”
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