The Louisiana inmate was serving a 30-year sentence for drug trafficking. Other prison news is on the risk to the more than 2 million prisoners held in detention centers.
Politico: Federal Prisons Mark First Virus Death
The federal prison system has recorded its first death attributed to the novel coronavirus pandemic as criminal justice reform advocates and public health experts urge officials to consider releasing inmates to slow the contagion. Patrick Jones, 49, was transferred to a hospital from a minimum security prison in Oakdale, La., on March 19, tested positive for Covid-19 — the disease caused by the virus — and was placed on a ventilator the next day, according to a statement from the Bureau of Prisons. (Gerstein, 3/29)
PBS NewsHour: Incarcerated People Face Potential Disaster During Outbreak
With more than 2 million prisoners held in thousands of detention centers across the U.S., advocates for the incarcerated have been sounding the alarm about the dangers posed to this vulnerable population during the current pandemic. (Feliciano, 3/29)
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