Articles Public Health Articles

Flattening the Curve for Incarcerated Populations — Covid-19 in Jails and Prisons

Published time: 02 April 2020

Authors: Matthew J. Akiyama, M.D., Anne C. Spaulding, M.D., and Josiah D. Rich, M.D.

Keywords: COVID-19, Epidemics, Health Care, Jails, Prisons


 

Abstract

Because of policies of mass incarceration over the past four decades, the United States has incarcerated more people than any other country on Earth. As of the end of 2016, there were nearly 2.2 million people in U.S. prisons and jails.1 People entering jails are among the most vulnerable in our society, and during incarceration, that vulnerability is exacerbated by restricted movement, confined spaces, and limited medical care. People caught up in the U.S. justice system have already been affected by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and improved preparation is essential to minimizing the impact of this pandemic on incarcerated persons, correctional staff, and surrounding communities.


Flattening the Curve for Incarcerated Populations ÔÇö Covid-19 in Jails and Prisons

 

Reference: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2005687

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