Vera Institute of Justice

Overview

Across America, there are 2.3 million people incarcerated today, and correctional facilities are consistently the site of some of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks. Correctional medical facilities are understaffed and under-resourced, resulting in incarcerated people either suffering without adequate care or occupying the limited beds and ventilators at nearby community hospitals. And an outbreak of COVID-19 in jails, prisons, and detention centers doesn’t remain contained inside the facility. Thousands of staff come in and out of these buildings daily, carrying the virus with them. To safeguard the health of those who are incarcerated, the staff who work with them, and the surrounding communities, in this statement the Vera Institute of Justice calls on the CDC to prioritize vaccination for incarcerated people as part of the initial phase of the COVID-19 vaccination program, starting with the elderly and most vulnerable behind bars.