New York prisons are mainly testing inmates who show symptoms of coronavirus — despite federal recommendations for wider testing, prisoner advocates say.
A total of 519 New York prison inmates — nearly 39% of those who were tested — have are positive for coronavirus, says a new report from New Yorkers United for Justice.
The number of prisoners with positive tests amounts to less than half the 1,300 uniformed state prisons staffers who have tested positive, state data shows.
Outside prisons, about 10% of New Yorkers who have been tested are positive for coronavirus. Many people who test positive show no symptoms of the illness.
“New York has been ahead of most nations on testing per capita, yet less than 3.28% of the incarcerated population has been tested — so we simply don’t know the scale of the problem,” said Khalil Cumberbatch, Chief Strategist at New Yorkers United for Justice.
“Governor Cuomo must dramatically increase testing within the criminal justice system,” Cumberbatch said.
The Legal Society has also condemned the state’s Department of Corrections and Community Supervision for not adopting recent recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which strongly advises correctional facilities to conduct weekly testing of asymptomatic incarcerated individuals.
“The refusal from DOCCS to follow CDC recommendations to protect people from contracting and spreading COVID-19 endangers the lives of all New Yorkers incarcerated in state prisons,” Legal Aid said in a statement.
“Governor Cuomo and DOCCS should stop risking the lives of incarcerated people and follow the recommendations of Dr. Anthony Fauci and the CDC to adopt universal testing protocols for our clients and others who live and work in state prisons,” the statement continued.
State corrections officials have maintained that the department is in compliance with state Health Department guidelines, and that it works with the agency to identify any potentially exposed individuals.
If a person in state custody tests positive, they are required to quarantine for at least two weeks. They cannot have a fever for at least 72 hours without the aid of medications prior to contact with others.
New York has expanded testing for a number of non-asymptomatic people statewide, including those who returned to the workplace during phase one of the pandemic reopening and those who attended recent protests.
