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That means the total number of inmate infections in California now stands at more than 22,300, including 90 deaths.
That translates to about 227 Covid-19 cases per 1,000 over the course of the pandemic, or about 20% of the total inmate population, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Statewide among the public, that number is about 32 cases per 1,000 people.
The growing numbers in correctional facilities come as state and local officials are also trying to control a rampant spread in California communities. On Friday, the state broke its previous case history, reporting more than 22,000 new cases. Hospitalizations are also at record levels, with more than 9,900 Covid-19 patients statewide, about 2,200 of whom are in intensive care units.
Weeks ago a grim warning came
In late October, the Office of the Inspector General released a report warning the state department of corrections of an imminent outbreak.
“Our staff observed that staff and incarcerated individuals frequently failed to adhere to those basic security protocols,” such as physical distancing and the use of face masks, the report read. Additionally, the Inspector General found examples of broken thermometers and insufficient detection procedures.
About 70% of the current Covid-19 outbreak is concentrated in about five of the state’s institutions, which also have some of the highest rates of prison overcrowding. Meanwhile, the nine prisons that have been most affected by the pandemic have reported capacities of at least 120%.
Pleasant Valley State Prison in Fresno County, at 122% capacity, currently has the highest number of Covid-19 cases, with 992 of the 2,833 inmates infected with the virus.
As of November 15, Pleasant Valley had about 27 cases. Two weeks later, he recorded 457 active infections. And that number has since doubled in a week.
That meteoric rate of transmission has become almost typical in most California prisons, which have little access to physical distancing and poor ventilation.
“We have known from the beginning of the pandemic what needs to be done and has not been done,” he said.
Efforts made to reduce the population
The state’s prison system has worked to combat potential outbreaks by reducing the total number of inmates, which currently stands at a three-decade low of 97,889, down from 121,034 in March, according to the department of corrections.
But a wave of early releases has slowed in recent months, even for seniors and high-risk people.
Court documents show that 450 people were released early between October 5 and November 4, compared to 4,421 between July 10 and August 9. The state also stopped granting loans, leading to about 2,100 early releases over the summer, according to the department of corrections.
“We have implemented robust response and mitigation efforts throughout the system, including mandating the use of procedural (surgical) masks by all staff at our institutions, anyone who enters the grounds of the institutions is screened both verbally as for temperature control, and staff and inmates are tested regularly, “said Vicky Waters, CDCR special counsel.
In addition, the entrances to the prisons were suspended as of November 26, he said.
