The Department of Corrections has reported three more positive COVID-19 cases on Friday at the correctional facility in Moose Lake, bringing the prison’s number of confirmed cases among inmates up to seven.
But that number is presumed to be much higher, Commissioner of Corrections Paul Schnell said on Friday.
Thirteen more inmates in Moose Lake are presumed positive based on their symptoms, Schnell said, and in addition to the one staff member who already has a positive confirmed COVID-19 case, one more is presumed positive, Schnell said. Additionally, two staff members in Red Wing have positive confirmed tests. Of the 30 inmates in Minnesota prisons who have been tested, 21 have been confirmed negative. Schnell said they have pending tests still in Stillwater and Lino Lakes.
To combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Department of Corrections is implementing a “Stay with Unit” plan, their equivalent of a “Safe at Home” order, but within the prisons. That began this week in Moose Lake and will be rolled out next week throughout the system, Schnell said.
“Under normal circumstances, incarcerated people from different units can intermingle for certain activities. For instance, they may go to the dining hall together, educational programming or industry or other work opportunities but with the close quarters in prison, this intermingling can allow for a virus like COVID-19 to spread quickly,” Schnell said.
Visiting is suspended at the time, but the DOC is working to provide inmates with increased access to video calling. Staff screening started right away and additional hand washing and hand sanitizing stations were installed. Schnell said mask distribution was initiated on Thursday to all staff and inmates across the system.
The DOC has also started doing some in-unit feeding and has been spacing out the dining periods into cycles and modifying programming in accordance with social distancing protocols.
“The ‘Stay with Unit’ plans are designed to minimize the spread for COVID by increasing the opportunity for social distancing No. 1 and No. 2 to provide for unit-level separation which decreases the potential for serious outbreaks throughout a facility and also improving our ability to plan for the possibility of a serious outbreak occurring,” Schnell said.
The DOC has also started reviewing candidates serving sentences for non-violent crimes and are within 90 days of regular release for placement in the DOC’s work, education and vocational training release program, Schnell said.
That would not only help free up space within prisons to quarantine and isolate individuals who have tested positive, but will help with social distancing. In addition, while Schnell said 75 percent of the population in Minnesota prisons are under 45 years old, a significant number of the population has underlying medical conditions, which leads to a higher risk for strong COVID-19 symptoms.
“In response to this crisis, public safety and public health are the Department of Corrections’ core objective,” Schnell said.
