Advocates for inmates seek inspection of Arizona’s prisons
PHOENIX (AP) — Advocates for inmates have asked Arizona’s top public health official to order inspections of state prisons to help guard against the coronavirus there, saying corrections officials aren’t consistently following COVID-19 prevention guidelines and have done an inadequate job of keeping the public informed on those efforts.
A coalition of advocacy groups said in a letter Tuesday to Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ that corrections officials have called for weekly deep cleaning of housing areas, when guidelines from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention call for daily cleanings of shared surfaces.
They raised questions about whether enough soap was being given to inmates to adequately clean housing areas and practice good hygiene and whether health care checks of employees were being consistently conducted at all prisons.
“The risk to lives of the tens of thousands of people in Arizona prisons and public health of Arizona communities is clear and demands immediate action to protect those who live and work in these facilities, as well as the public at large,” the coalition’s letter said.
Christ’s office didn’t have an immediate comment on the letter at midday Tuesday.
The Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry and Gov. Doug Ducey’s office didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on the letter.
In Arizona, more than 2,500 COVID-19 cases with 73 death have been reported as of Tuesday.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The vast majority of people recover.
Prisons are believed to be vulnerable spots for the spread of the coronavirus because inmates with compromised health live in close quarters.
Ducey said at a news briefing Tuesday that 49 inmates have been tested, 42 were negative and results are pending for the rest. He also said that cloth face masks have been obtained for all corrections officers and more testing is planned, but ruled out early release for vulnerable inmates.
“Not only are we focused on protecting public health, we’re continuing to focus on protecting public safety,” he said. "And we’re not going to be releasing any prisoners at this time.'
The Department of Corrections agency hasn’t responded to questions about the number of employees who have tested positive. A corrections officer had previously complained in a letter to Ducey that Department of Corrections had forbidden officers from bringing personal protective equipment into the prisons.
“As our employees enter our complex facilities for work, the face coverings will provide an extra level of protection to reduce the risk of any potential spread to our inmate population,” Corrections Director David Shinn said in the post.
The coalition that asked Christ to intervene consists of a dozen groups, some of which have in the past called for overhaul of the state’s criminal justice system.
The groups include the American Civil Liberties Union, Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice, two mental health providers and the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker group that has called for an end to mass incarceration.
The governor issued four new executive orders related to the virus response Tuesday, including one requiring people flying into Arizona from New York, Connecticut or New Jersey to self-quarantine for 14 days. Other areas with widespread outbreaks can be added.
The state health department will work with airlines to identify and notify affected travelers, and police across the state will help with enforcement.
Other orders include one allowing heavier trucks on the road without a permit to speed grocery shipments, another requiring nursing homes to screen workers before they enter and require them to boost remote visitation to patients, and one boosting required reporting on COVID-19 patients from hospitals.
As part of the state’s emergency coronavirus response, Ducey directed $2 million in emergency funding be provided to Goodwill Industries to allow the nonprofit to rehire 400 furloughed workers.
Ducey tapped a $50 million fund the Legislature appropriated last month to fund the response. The governor has already delegated $6.7 million from the fund for homeless housing, food bank and other nutrition programs.
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Associated Press writers Bob Christie in Glendale and Paul Davenport in Phoenix contributed to this report.