COVID-19 Hits US Prisons: From Mass Infections to Riots

Prisoner Riots Erupt Following COVID-19 Outbreak
Prisons with Over 400 Cases Reported

A vehicle parked in front of a Chicago prison, where over 400 COVID-19 patients have been reported, displays a message demanding the release of inmates. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Amid the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) crisis, prisons in the United States are becoming a major headache.

Some prisons have emerged as the largest COVID-19 'hotspots' in the U.S., and riots among inmates are also occurring.

According to CNN on the 9th (local time), inmates rioted after COVID-19 cases were reported at a prison in Washington State.

The incident took place at Monroe Prison in Washington State, where six inmates were infected with COVID-19 the previous day. After the prison authorities announced this, about 200 prisoners gathered in the prison yard and began rioting.

They defied the prison authorities' orders to disperse, set fires, and threatened to take guards hostage. As the situation worsened, the prison authorities responded with tear gas and rubber bullets to suppress the riot.

A prison official said, "No injuries have been reported," and added, "The situation is now under control."

The outbreak of COVID-19 inside prisons is not limited to this facility. According to The New York Times, 1,324 inmates in U.S. prisons have been infected with COVID-19. There have also been 32 deaths.

The most serious case is at Monroe Prison in Chicago. There, about 400 infections have occurred, making it the largest cluster outbreak in a multi-facility setting in the U.S.

At Rikers Prison in New York, nearly 200 inmates have been isolated or transferred to other prisons due to COVID-19 infections. Some prisons are even releasing minor offenders to prevent the spread of infection.

The New York Times estimated that, given the poor sanitary conditions inside prisons, the actual number of COVID-19 infections is likely much higher than reported.