According to a new report, more than 1,000 inmates at a Texas federal prison tested positive for the coronavirus.
A federal prison in Seagoville has seen 1,072 positive coronavirus cases, more than half of its population of nearly 1,800 inmates, NBC DFW reported. No prison in the country has reported more infections.
Texas has continued to see a deterioration in its response to the coronavirus, with the state registering about 15,000 new cases on Friday, with nearly 320,000 total cases as of Saturday. The infection has spread rapidly and the problem of protecting prisoners has not been an easy one.
Officials initially tried to address concerns about the inmates’ safety, should the infection reach the jails. In some cases, prisoners attempted to appeal for early release or commute their sentences to house arrest, but most efforts went nowhere.
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A Seagoville inmate, James Giannetta, 65, died Thursday. He was taken to prison two days after experiencing shortness of breath.
He was serving a 14-year sentence for drugs and conspiracy to launder money.
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Families with loved ones in the prison had planned to protest outside the facility on Saturday as part of the protests across the country, all to draw attention to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in prisons.
“My biggest fear is that COVID will catch him,” Michelle Trevino, a prisoner’s wife, told NBC. “There are people who qualify, who have done very well, who really want to change their lives.”
Prisoners have complained to loved ones about the conditions and treatment inside the jails, Trevino said.
“Honestly, I get it. I understand where they come from, ”said Trevino. “I know what it should look like to say hello, just let them out! But that’s not what we’re saying at all, and I don’t think there is any point in being a voice for them because it’s so bad for them. “
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The Federal Bureau of Prisons said it has begun additional testing of asymptomatic inmates nationwide to help delay the spread of the virus.
