Mississippi prison has highest number of COVID-19 cases in federal system
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is reporting 71 inmates have tested positive for the new coronavirus at the Federal Correctional Institute in Yazoo City.
Sixty four inmates are housed in low-security prisons and seven are in medium-security units. Four guards also have tested positive, according to the bureau.
The 64 cases in Yazoo City now represents the largest number of cases of COVID-19 in a federal prison nationwide.
The first report of coronavirus cases in a low-security Yazoo City facility was released two weeks ago, when the Bureau of Prisons reported 25 cases among prisoners and three among staff members.
The Yazoo City prisons have 1,728 inmates in the federal correctional facilities.
Nationwide, the Bureau of Prisons houses 143,705 inmates at correctional facilities and another 10,225 offenders are in community-based housing.
To date, the bureau is reporting 497 positive cases of the coronavirus in inmates and another 319 cases among staff members. In addition, 22 prisoners have died of the virus.
Bureau of Prisons Director M.D. Carvajal said the bureau’s top priority since January has included taking “aggressive steps to protect the safety and security of all staff and inmates, as well as visitors and members of the public.”
The response to COVID-19, Carvajal said, continues to be “top priority” in the federal prison system.
Currently, all visitation is suspended and lawyers are not allowed to visit their clients until further notice.
In addition, staff are having their temperatures checked daily, as well as any new prisoners or any other who display any symptoms of the virus.
“We are deeply concerned for the health and welfare of those inmates who are entrusted to our care, and for our staff, their families, and the communities we live and work in,” the bureau said in an online press release. “It is our highest priority to continue to do everything we can to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our facilities.”
Carvajal said in video statement that the federal prison in Yazoo City is now a hot spot for coronavirus.
U.S. Attorney William Barr at the end of March instructed federal facilities to review the circumstance surrounding the imprisonment of each inmate to determine who could be safely released from prison to serve the remainder of their sentence under home confinement.
So far, the bureau said, the review of cases has led to the release of 1,280 prisoners who are now serving their time under house arrest.
This story was originally published April 21, 2020 at 11:53 AM.
