With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
California Prisons Pause In-Person Visits Amid Latest COVID Surge In Staff And Inmates
A view of an emergency care facility erected to treat inmates infected with COVID-19 at San Quentin State Prison early in the pandemic.
(
Justin Sullivan
/
Getty Images
)
California prisons are suspending in-person visits starting Saturday due to the surge in COVID cases.
State prisons are now reporting more than 1,700 people in the prison population and more than 3,000 staff members are positive for COVID. Since the start of the pandemic, 246 COVID-related deaths of prisoners have been reported and 49 deaths for staff.
The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said those high infection rates among both incarcerated people and prison staff made the move necessary.
One-hour video visits will be allowed on weekends for all the state prisons. Those visits must be reserved over email.
Support for LAist comes from
The temporary ban on visitors is set to continue through at least Jan. 23.
While in-person visitation is paused, institutions will expand video visiting to both Sat. & Sun. Beginning tomorrow, requests for a video visit to take place on days normally reserved for in-person visits will need to be made via email. See site for more: https://t.co/EsAKqhjUZl pic.twitter.com/cYpjAYWoDR
— CA Corrections (@CACorrections) January 7, 2022
State prison officials said Friday that 80% of those incarcerated are fully vaccinated. That number for staff is 69% of staff, both rates prisons officials said are "a significant increase from the fall." One notable statistic: of those not fully vaccinated, just 2% of prisoners and 1% of staff are partially vaccinated.
Since the start of the pandemic, more than 53,000 confirmed COVID cases have been reported in the state's prison population. Nearly 26,000 staff members have reported having COVID.
Civil rights advocates have raised the high case numbers in efforts to keep people out of jails and prisons and to get more incarcerated people released early.
LAist staff contributed to this report.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
What do stairs have to do with California’s housing crisis? More than you might think, says this Culver City councilmember. -
Yes, it's controversial, but let me explain. -
Doctors say administrator directives allow immigration agents to interfere in medical decisions and compromise medical care. -
The Palisades Fire erupted on Jan. 7 and went on to kill 12 people and destroy more than 6,800 homes and buildings. -
People moving to Los Angeles are regularly baffled by the region’s refrigerator-less apartments. They’ll soon be a thing of the past. -
Experts say students shouldn't readily forgo federal aid. But a California-only program may be a good alternative in some cases.
Best of LAist