Decarceration and community re-entry in the COVID-19 era

Abstract

Jails and prisons are exceptionally susceptible to viral outbreaks, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The USA has extremely high rates of incarceration and COVID-19 is causing an urgent health crisis in correctional facilities and detention centres. Epidemics happening in prisons are compounding the elevated risks that COVID-19 poses to people of colour, older people, and those with comorbidities. Intersectoral community re-entry efforts in the USA and other countries have shown that releasing people from correctional facilities as a pandemic-era public health intervention is safe and can support both public safety and community rebuilding. Therefore, substantial decarceration in the USA should be initiated. A point of focus for such efforts is that many people in prison are serving excessively long sentences and pose acceptable safety risks for release. Properly managed, correctional depopulation will prevent considerable COVID-19 morbidity and mortality and reduce prevailing socioeconomic and health inequities.

Call for Action to Address Equity and Justice Divide During COVID-19

“…The justice-involved population living in jails, prisons or custodial settings are particularly vulnerable in the COVID-19 era owing to the increased viral infection transmission risks due to crowded living conditions ( 68 , 69 ), and relatively higher prevalence of specific medical conditions including poor cardiovascular disease profile, tuberculosis, sexually transmitted infection, substance abuse, and mental health disorder ( 70 , 71 ). Jail inmates and prisoners have average to high cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk compared with community dwellers ( 72 ).…”

Carceral-community epidemiology, structural racism, and COVID-19 disparities

“…This crisis was not unanticipated (19,20,29,30). Amid long-standing political acceptance of mass incarceration in the United States, which houses nearly 25% of the world's incarcerated people despite only representing 4.2% of the global population (31), early warnings from public health experts were followed by delayed and inadequate policy action to alter arrest and incarceration practices in response to pandemic conditions (21,32) Furthermore, while US jail populations initially declined in late spring and summer months, they have since rebounded toward prepandemic levels, increasing by 10% in the final months of 2020 (33). In this context, it is notable that while a considerable amount of appropriate attention has focused on the risks to which incarcerated individuals are being subjected during COVID-19, comparatively little scientific, media, and policy attention has highlighted the risks that carceral epidemics pose not only to incarcerated people but also to the health of the public at large (34).…”

Incarceration as a Fundamental Social Cause of Health Inequalities: Jails, Prisons and Vulnerability to COVID-19

“…Therefore, it is vital that de-carceration be considered as the first avenue for mitigating the spread of COVID-19 among IP and staff. De-carceration can take several forms; however, to both ensure public safety and minimize the mortality rate of IP, there is likely some wisdom in prioritizing de-carceration for older and/or infirm persons, those nearing release and those convicted of non-violent crimes ( Beaudry et al 2020 ; Franco-Paredes et al 2021 ). Such efforts will aid in the practicalities of implementing public health guidelines both pre- and post-release.…”