We post news and comment on federal criminal justice issues, focused primarily on trial and post-conviction matters, legislative initiatives, and sentencing issues.
COVID’S BACK, AND THE BOP’S GOT IT
It wasn’t even three weeks ago that the BOP was doing a happy dance about having delivered the 200,000th shot of COVID vaccine. Only 29 inmates and 130 staff had the coronavirus, and only half of the institutions had a case.
Then came the COVID-19 Delta variant. As of last night, 236 inmates and 145 staff at 79 facilities were sick. One out of four of those cases is at FCI Texarkana, where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reportedly looking at why Delta has gained a foothold.
The Delta breakout comes amid increased concerns over slowed vaccination rates among prisons corrections staff.
The Crime Report last week said, “prison staff have refused the vaccine in vast numbers, leaving entire prison populations — and surrounding communities — at risk.” According to the report, only 48% of prison staff members nationwide had received at least one dose. As of last Friday, the BOP staff vax rate was 52.4%, slightly lower than the 54.8% inmate acceptance of the vaccine.
Unvaccinated officers travel between, bringing the virus with them, according to Anne Spaulding, an associate professor in epidemiology at Emory University. Sick officers can also cause staff shortages (already a serious BOP problem), which reduces programming, recreation, and visitation. “It’s going to affect the mental health of those incarcerated, who already have restricted lives,” Spaulding said.
Yesterday, President Biden issued a directive that requires about 2 million federal employees to disclose whether they’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19 or else submit to regular testing, as the highly transmissible Delta variant drives up new infections nationwide. That number would include the approximate 19,000 BOP employees who have so far refused the shot.
Federal workers and on-site contractors will have to attest to their vaccination status, the White House said. Those who don’t must wear masks at work regardless of their geographic location and get tested once or twice a week for Covid-19. Employees who don’t disclose being fully vaccinated also will be subject to work travel restrictions and must physically distance from colleagues and visitors, the administration said.
Given that numerous inmate reports I’ve gotten say that BOP staff widely ignore mask and distancing mandates, enforcement of this should be interesting to watch.
BOP COVID-19 statistics website (July 29)
KTBS-TV, Shreveport LA, Coronavirus cases rise at FCI Texarkana (July 19, 2021)
The Crime Report, Is Anti-Vax Movement Gaining Traction Among Corrections Staff? (July 12, 2021)
Politico, Biden rolls out aggressive plan to jump-start vaccination (July 29, 2021)
– Thomas L. Root