Nearly 6,000 prisoners at four Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) facilities are now quarantined after multiple staff members and inmates have tested positive for COVID-19.
All inmates at the Franklin Medical Center (494), Marion Correctional Institution (2,531), Pickaway Correctional Institution (2,038), and Toledo Correctional Institution (938) are quarantined, meaning, according to ODRC, that their movements are being restricted to prevent further exposure.
Only 13 inmates are in isolation, a stricter measure for those that have or are suspected to have the virus. The isolated inmates are housed at the above facilities and at Allen Oakwood Correctional Institution, the Ohio State Penitentiary and Richland Correctional Institution.
ODRC has conducted only 42 tests on the nearly 49,000 inmates in its system. Of those, two have come back positive, 29 have come back negative and 11 are pending. The two positive tests are at Marion, 100 miles southwest of Cleveland; and Pickaway, 16 miles southwest of Columbus.
On Friday, Gov. Mike DeWine recommended releasing 38 of the state’s total prisoners, 23 women who are pregnant or who recently gave birth and 15 inmates who are over the age of 60 and who have fewer than 60 days left to serve. Inmate rights advocates regard these recommendations as woefully insufficient to prevent the rapid spread of COVID-19.
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This article appears in Apr 1-7, 2020.
FROM THE WOMENS PRISON in Dayton: we have 0 water no running water no showers no sinks no hand washing no toilets im being told they just brought in 1 port o potti for each unit hundreds of women sharing a port o potti. 1. and what about count time and middle of night? im on my fucking period and im sure there are at least 100 other on there period as well. pick up your phone