coronavirus in prisons

Just under 40% of the inmates inside the federal prison complex in Danbury have refused to take the COVID-19 vaccine, according to federal officials. The Connecticut U.S. Attorney’s Office disclosed the latest vaccination numbers in a court filing Friday as part of class-action lawsuit over an alleged failure to protect prisoners from the coronavirus inside the institution. There are...

Connecticut’s unionized prison guards expressed anger Wednesday over what they say is the lack of a plan to vaccinate them against COVID-19. Jody Barr, the executive director of AFSCME Council 4, said the union was told there would be a plan to vaccinate prison employees by early January, but they have yet to hear when they might get the vaccine,…

Connecticut Chief Operating Officer Josh Geballe said the Biden Administration’s plan to increase vaccine allocation means an increase from 46,000 to 53,000 first doses per week for at least the next three weeks.

The Department of Corrections announced another inmate death because of COVID-19 complications. The DOC said a 47-year-old man was transferred to an outside hospital for treatment on Nov. 28, where he later died. The man was serving a two and a half year sentence for sale of hallucinogen/narcotic substances as well as assault of a public safety, emergency medical, public…

“What they’re doing is ridiculous, illogical, and arbitrary.” Inmate Michael Liebowitz leveled that criticism toward the Connecticut Department of Correction’s response to the novel coronavirus. He called NBC Connecticut Investigates after watching our series of stories on an exclusive survey of 300 plus correction officers on how the DOC has handled the pandemic. So far seven inmates have died...

Inmate Michael Liebowitz reached out after our NBC CT Investigates stories on how the Connecticut Department of Correction has handled the coronavirus outbreak

A federal judge is set to hear arguments this week in a lawsuit that attempts to force the state of Connecticut to take new measures to protect prison inmates from the coronavirus. U.S. District Court Judge Janet Bond Arterton will hold the hearing by video conference next Friday. The ACLU of Connecticut is asking the court to order emergency...

Prisoner advocates are raising concerns over the state’s corrections systems preparedness to handle the pandemic.