7-3-20 16:30
As reported in July’s issue of First Amend This!: An IDOC Newsletter, an inmate at the Idaho State Correctional Center tested positive June 24. KBOI News is now reporting that, of the bulk testing that has taken place since at this facility, 119 inmates and 36 staff are now testing positive for COVID-19.
The following July 2 update from the Director to Offenders provides further information:
07/02/2020
Hi all-
I know its a tough time for many of you right now as it is for your friends and loved ones on the outside. I wanted to give you an update on where we stand as it relates to COVID. I received some correspondence from a gentleman in custody yesterday that really helped me understand how the lack of information can increase tension and fear. So in addition to telling you where we are with things, I’m also going to do my best to explain the why behind it.
…We’ve done mass testing events in E block and H block at ISCC. We should have the E block results [7-2]. I want to share with you what we’ve learned from other systems who have battled COVID at the onset of the pandemic. Its widely believed that in the public at large, significantly more COVID positive cases exist where people never develop symptoms or experience complications. The way testing is prioritized in the community, it is extremely difficult to ever get tested if you don’t have symptoms. For our system, we’re going to keep testing as many people as possible to try to identify everyone who is positive, regardless of symptoms. That means we expect to have a high number of people test positive for COVID that would never have even felt the need to get tested in the community.
Here’s why that’s important: we have to identify positives so we can do contact tracing to identify people who might have had close contact with those positive individuals. Then we quarantine and keep testing. The strategy for battling COVID in the community is the same as it is in prison: Test, Trace and Quarantine.
We’re going to continue mass testing at ISCC then move to other facilities in the S. Boise Complex as appropriate. We also are going to conduct mass testing events for IDOC staff who work at the S. Boise Complex.
S. Boise Complex in Secure Status:As of yesterday morning, the entire S. Boise Complex was placed on secure status. If you’re in the S. Boise Complex, I’m guessing you have a good idea by now of what that means everything but basic necessities is shut down and movement is extremely limited except in the case of emergencies. This isn’t being done to punish anyone. Its being done to offer more protection against transmitting the virus. Our contact tracing at ISCC demonstrated how even limited and controlled movement can allow for the virus to spread to other areas of the prison before anyone develops symptoms.
There are few things I dislike more than having to order facilities into full secure status because I know how disruptive it is for you. I know how much worry it causes your loved ones on the outside. And even though it isn’t intended to be, I know it has to feel like you’re being punished. That isn’t why I did it. Instead of waiting for a positive case to be identified elsewhere in the S. Boise Complex, we decided to make this move proactively to better prevent an outbreak or contain one.
Cohorting Staff:When we implement a quarantine for a period of time, we do it in groups known as cohorts. Doing it like that means that if you introduce a new person to the group, you have to start the clock over. While the units that aren’t under medical quarantine aren’t in a true quarantine, we are going to introduce a similar concept by cohorting staff with specific units. Starting this Sunday, all facilities in the S. Boise Complex will be moving to 12 hour shifts, and staff will only be allowed to work specific units unless there’s an emergency. This is an additional safeguard for you and them. Again, the objective is to keep units as closed and contained as possible until we know the coast is clear. That means minimizing staff coming and going from multiple units on a shift.
Secure Status v. Medical Quarantine: I also wanted to take a second to clear up what I mean when I say secure status versus medical quarantine. There isn’t a huge difference between the two. As noted before, secure status means everyone is required to stay in their cell or living area. The same is true for a medical quarantine. The difference is that a medical quarantine is triggered by a potential or positive case. The idea is to do enhanced medical checks on everyone in medical quarantine for a period of time while you check to see if anyone else develops symptoms. While on secure status in the S. Boise Complex, we’re going to adopt a hybrid approach even for areas that aren’t on medical quarantine. All people incarcerated in the S. Boise Complex will have their temperatures taken daily. We’ve had two instances already of people who developed symptoms but chose not to come forward because they didn’t want to be quarantined. That way of thinking puts everyone, including the individuals with symptoms, at far greater risk. Please let someone know if you are experiencing any symptoms associated with COVID-19.
This is a scary time for a lot of people, my staff included. Here;s what I’d ask of you: please be patient with us. You’re going through a lot of change and uncertainty right now, and so are the staff you see every day. I know your daily life has seen disruption after disruption since the middle of March, especially with visiting and volunteer services being suspended. I can promise you were likely to have some problems in the first little while of secure status and were going to have to figure out some ways to fix things. I promise you we will. Our first order of business is to provide the necessities and keep you safe, and prisons leadership is looking for ways to ease the burden for you and our staff during this unprecedented operating period.
I know it’s easy in a time like this to feel a little helpless to protect yourself from a disease that you can’t see. You’re not. In fact, you’re still your first and best line of defense. Always practice good hygiene. Where you can, keep appropriate physical distance between you and others, and wear a mask when you can’t.
Take care of yourself, and please look out for each other.
Thanks-
Josh