Inhumane Conditions at NC Department of Correction
Below is a letter from a concerned parent of an incarcerated person at the NCDOC’s Harnett Correctional Center amid COVID.
To Whom It May Concern:
I am worried that the inhumane treatment my son, XXXXXX XXXXXXXXX, is experiencing incarcerated will lead to contracting COVID-19. We are concerned about the health and safety risks at Harnett Correctional and other NCDOC facilities. We understand that we have no supervisory authority over NCDPS and cannot force anyone from the NCDOC to release incarcerated people or comply with safety guidelines. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS) is responsible for the prisons in North Carolina. Quarantine restrictions can be lifted if the inmate's symptoms do not develop for 14 days and the individual does not receive a positive viral test result for SARS-CoV-2. Community transmission of SARS-CoV-2 occurs when individuals are exposed to the virus through contact with someone in their local community rather than travel to an affected location. When community transmission occurs in a particular area, correctional facilities and detention centers are more likely to start seeing infections inside their walls.
While cohorting those with confirmed COVID-19 is acceptable, cohorting individuals with suspected COVID-19 is not recommended due to the high risk of transmission from infected to uninfected individuals. That is precisely what is happening at Harnett. Inmates with symptoms are the only ones being tested and separated. At the same time, the other inmates are left to quarantine for 14 days in a poorly ventilated space, not knowing if they are asymptotic. The inmates are then placed in a vicious cycle of being on lock-down/code red for more than 14 days because each time someone develops Covid symptoms or test positive, the 14-day quarantine cycle starts over. Since not all inmates are fully vaccinated, there should be an increase in testing from biweekly to weekly. The staff only tests inmates when symptoms are present or if an inmate is pending transfer to another facility. My son has FINALLY received his booster today although he has Asthma and suffers from seasonal allergies which should have placed him as a priority. Note: that he received the booster after exposure to COVID-19. According to the CDC suggestions and NCDPS plan, Harnett Correctional is not compliant. Thank you in advance for making the necessary adjustments to ensure the safety of all.
Crystal W.
