People in jails, prisons, and detention centers are at extreme risk of infection from COVID-19. Now is the time for government leaders to be bold: release people from custody and divert others from entering detention. Vera has created guidance with best practices justice systems can follow to swiftly protect people, as well as tools to track government progress. Explore below to learn how policymakers can act now.
Consistently among the biggest COVID-19 clusters in the United States, correctional facilities are seeing record high surges in coronavirus infections. The crowded and congregate nature of jails, prisons, and detention centers—where 2.3 million people are incarcerated and tens of thousands of staff work each day—pose a unique threat for the infecti ...
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 ...
Prisons and jails have become significant clusters of COVID-19 in America, putting thousands of lives at risk. As part of our efforts to protect people most at risk of contracting COVID-19, the Vera Institute of Justice issued this guidance brief providing leaders at all levels of federal, state, and local government with recommendations to address ...
The coronavirus, or COVID-19, has been declared by the World Health Organization to be a global pandemic. As the number of people infected in the United States grows exponentially, we must focus on prevention and containment in the criminal and immigration legal systems. Vera and Community Oriented Correctional Health Services have created a series ...
Monitoring jail populations during COVID-19
Our immigration system is on the threshold of a new crisis precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. People in detention face high risks of infection from the close quarters of facilities, shelters, and courtrooms, and they lack adequate sanitation, health care, and protective measures. The frequent transfer of people throughout the immigration detent ...
Without action, thousands of people living and working in corrections facilities, and in the communities surrounding them, will suffer debilitating disease and die avoidable deaths. - Nick Turner, Vera President & Director
Centering Human Dignity Across Decarceration, Reentry, and Operations
Reducing Arrests and Supporting the Health of Communities and Officers
Collaborating to Keep Communities Safe and Healthy
Immediate action is needed to prevent the spread of this disease among other people in detention who cannot protect themselves. Even under normal circumstances, imprisoning immigrants who are in deportation proceedings is cruel. People—including those who may have legal standing to remain in the United States—languish for weeks, months, or years. ...
One concern has been that law enforcement officers themselves could become vectors of transmission for coronavirus because of the degree of public exposure inherent in policing. While much has been written about law enforcement practices at this time, less focus has been placed on the public health and safety risks for frontline responders and thei ...
