Amid outbreak, reduce inmate population now
Iam a medical provider in Albuquerque and recently signed a letter with 60 other local medical providers directed at county and state officials, urging them to take all possible measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by dramatically reducing the number of incarcerated people.
Americans are looking to Europe to see what lies ahead. With an untenable overload of our hospital system, a shortage of lifesaving personal protective equipment and unimaginable potential deaths, public health and medical guidelines are clear: It is urgently necessary to dramatically and rapidly reduce jail and prison populations to protect our most vulnerable, and curb the spread of the infection to the rest of the population.
Social distancing and other preventative measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are nearly impossible in these facilities, leaving both incarcerated people as well as correctional officers, their families and entire surrounding communities vulnerable to this pandemic. Prisons, immigrant detention centers and jails around the country in Los Angeles, New York City, Cleveland, New Jersey, Arizona and beyond are releasing hundreds of people every day as the number of COVID-19 cases identified in U.S. prisons, jails and detention centers around the country grows.
All individuals who do not pose a threat of bodily harm that can be reasonably identifiable should immediately be released into the Community Custody Program instead of being detained in county jails. Jails and New Mexico Corrections Department facilities throughout the state should be using CDC guidelines to identify individuals vulnerable to COVID-19 and taking rapid action to safely release them.
The letter on behalf of New Mexico medical professionals also demands a policy of no new bookings for nonviolent parole violations or immigration-related charges. Jails also should release incarcerated people classified as vulnerable to COVID-19 by the CDC, including those over age 60 and those with asthma, cancer, heart disease, lung disease and diabetes. They must develop a contingency plan for when incarcerated people do show symptoms of COVID-19 to prevent further spread, and make sure that everyone who remains incarcerated has immediate access to warm water and soap; comprehensive sanitation and cleaning of facilities and equipment such as telephones and door handles; CDC-recommended screening for all staff; and other safety measures free of charge.
As a medical provider, I am intimately aware of the importance of this situation and hope that others join me in urging our leaders to take decisive action to ensure that our jails and prisons do not become vectors for the spread of COVID-19.
Leah Jo Carnine is a primary care physician assistant living in Albuquerque.