Current COVID # in MA Prisons/Jails

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COVID-19 in prisons puts inmates, families on edge

                                 Photo courtesy of WJHG Florida

The numbers are bad at Norfolk MCI as everyone has been reporting but as these numbers show, they are bad everywhere! This was as of Friday, November 13, 2020. 

These are current numbers ( per Committee for Public Counsel Services which compiled this from many sources –mainly the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts).

NOTE HOWEVER: MCI-Norfolk has a total of approximately 248 new COVID-19 cases between 10/26/20 and 11/12/20, but DOC appears to only report publicly “active” cases, making the outbreak seem smaller. There has been no further testing since 11/06/20. 

The DOC is determining that individuals are no longer “active” cases 10 days from the point of testing as long as they don’t have a fever and report no symptoms. According to an attorney, “It has been reported to me that most guys are going to deny symptoms because the quarantine conditions are deplorable and they want to return to their normal cells.”

“DOC also appears to be distorting numbers by not providing test results efficiently. I had clients in the same unit who were tested on the same day, and yet, one received his test results two days after testing and was placed in one of the quarantine units, while the other (who was absolutely sick), did not receive test results until an entire week after the test, and was then moved to a quarantine unit. Both left quarantine yesterday, 10 days after the test.”

All new cases (~281 total):

  • Berkshire: 5 positive COs
  • Bristol: 1 positive prisoner, 2 positive COs, 1 positive staff
  • Essex: 1 positive CO
  • Hampden: 5 positive COs, 3 positive staff
  • Middlesex: 1 positive staff
  • Plymouth: 1 positive staff
  • Suffolk: 2 positive COs
  • Worcester: 3 positive COs
  • DOC-wide: 191 positive prisoners, 38 positive staff
    • MASAC: 24 positive staff
    • MCI-Norfolk: 167 positive prisoners, 9 positive staff
    • BSH: 1 positive staff
    • OCCC: 2 positive staff
    • MCI-CJ: 2 positive staff
    • MCI-C: 3 positive prisoners, 14 positive staff
    • MCI-Shirley: 24 positive prisoners, 6 positive staff
    • SBCC: 1 positive staff
    • Non-facility: 3 positive staff

 

All active cases (228 total):

  • Barnstable: 1 active staff
  • Berkshire: 5 active staff
  • Bristol: 1 active prisoner, 3 active staff
  • Hampden: 1 active prisoners, 10 active staff
  • Middlesex: 1 active staff
  • Plymouth: 1 active staff
  • Suffolk: 3 active staff
  • DOC (no facility or DOC-wide metric for active COs/staff/contractors):
    • MCI-Norfolk: 175 active prisoners
    • MCI-C: 3 active prisoners
    • MCI-Shirley: 24 active prisoners