Right now, about 2.3 million people sit behind bars in our nation’s criminal justice system. Thanks to the coronavirus, they’re in more danger than ever.
While our jails and prisons are never exactly places one wants to find themselves, the conditions have become especially dire as the coronavirus continues its spread across the United States. At a time when citizens are being encouraged to practice social distancing and good hygiene, those trapped in our prison system find themselves in cramped quarters with limited healthcare supplies.
We could debate all day whether the majority of these people should be locked up in the first place. But no matter where you land in that discussion, we can all agree that these individuals do not deserve death sentences or to be exposed to serious illness. The reality remains that if serious steps are not taken, this is exactly the fate many prisoners face.
The jails and prisons in our country are filthy, and prisoners lack access to supplies that could help them prevent the spread of the virus. Basic items such as soap, tissues, and cleaning supplies are often only available for purchase. And other items, such as alcohol-based hand sanitizer, are flat-out banned.
To make matters worse, prisoners are often kept in close quarters. Large numbers of people are all using a limited number of bathrooms. Sinks are often broken, and water is frequently dirty. Even in the best of times, prisons are ripe for infections and disease. Suffice it to say now is not the best of times.
To deal with past outbreaks, prisons have implemented measures such as solitary confinement, visitation restrictions, and lockdowns. (If there are any remaining defenders of the practice of solitary confinement, may this week of social distancing be a lesson on how cruel a practice isolation actually is.)
Yet few familiar with our prison system believe that these practices can sufficiently contain the coronavirus outbreak. Instead, we need to flatten the curve among prison populations as well. There are a number of ways we can take meaningful action while still protecting the public.
One measure, that is perhaps the most important, is the early release of some incarcerated people.
Compassionate release for the elderly and those with compromised immune systems should be immediate, as long as they are deemed not to pose a threat to the public. There’s no reason these people should not be allowed to serve the remainder of their sentences from their homes where they can easily (and much more cheaply) be monitored with technology. This could be a temporary or permanent release, but it should happen quickly to give those most at risk of this disease a fighting chance.
Additionally, those who are already scheduled for release in the next eight weeks should be sent to home confinement, where they too can be monitored through ankle bracelets or other technology. Nonessential confinement should also be suspended for those who are currently in jail for technical violations.
And lastly, our system should move to book and release for all future arrests in the short-term unless, once again, that individual is deemed to be an imminent threat.
Law enforcement also should avoid arrests for nonviolent misdemeanors and low-level offenses in the first place during this crisis. And those tasked with community supervision should use video technology as much as possible to carry out their checks.
Next, and quite obviously, hygienic supplies should be made immediately available to everyone in the prison system. The ban on alcohol-based hand sanitizer should be lifted, and proper cleaning protocols should be put in place.
These are commonsense adjustments to an overburdened and broken prison system. Through them, we can recognize the dignity in all people, cut costs, and protect society.
Hannah Cox (@HannahCox7) is a libertarian-conservative writer and political activist with extensive experience in the criminal justice reform field. She is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog.
