Giving inmates vaccinations ahead of law-abiding citizens is disgraceful

The Center for Disease Control Guidelines created categories of population groups to prioritize which citizens would receive COVID-19 vaccinations. Under the guidelines, Group 1a consisted of front-line health care personnel and residents of long term-care facilities. Group 1b consisted of essential frontline workers, including first responders. The Center for Disease Control and its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices defined “essential front-line workers” in phrase 1b as those who had “close interaction with the public.” Group 1c consisted of individuals with significant co-morbid conditions and all older adults. Group 2 consisted of individuals with moderate co-morbid conditions or people in homeless shelters.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has deviated from the guidelines and has determined prisoners belong in Group 1b. Prisoners are not essential front-line workers and they do not have close interaction with the public. They have committed crimes that merited their incarceration. Allowing inmates to receive COVID-19 vaccines ahead of law-abiding citizens in Groups 1c and Group 2 is unwarranted and disgraceful. According to statistics from the Illinois Department of Public Health, of all the patients testing positive for the virus, 1.7% of them died. Of all the infected inmates in Illinois, 0.75% died.

The pandemic has taken a heavy toll on our fellow citizens and the amount of available vaccines is small. The governor has asked law-abiding citizens to exercise patience. Law-abiding citizens deserve better. Adults with high-risk medical conditions should not have to wait in line behind criminals to receive their vaccines.

Daniel Locallo, retired Cook County Circuit Court judge