Hundreds of prisoners test positive for coronavirus, so Colorado Springs mothers seek answers

Colorado Springs, Colorado-A Colorado Springs mother seeks an answer after her son, hundreds of other prisoners, and dozens of staff at El Paso County Prison test positive for the new coronavirus. I will.

Jamie Fein’s son, James Hunter Gant, has been waiting for a drug royalties trial for six months. Due to the impact of COVID-19 on the court, he moved the court date three times. The majority of people in El Paso prisons have not yet been convicted of crimes and are waiting for their trial instead.

Due to the pandemic, visitors cannot enter the prison itself and can only talk to prisoners via telephone or video conferencing.

Fine says his son tested positive for the virus a few days ago and a nurse had to pay $ 7 to visit him and for the aspirin and cough syrup he was prescribed. ..

“My son is really struggling. He gets feverish, sweats, hallucinates at night and coughs,” Fein said. “These are now patients with COVID-19, not just prisoners, and we should give them medicine.”

Fine talked to other prisoners about the situation and spent days trying to get answers by calling sheriff offices, health departments, ACLUs, local representatives and more.

“I said to my adjutant,’Is my son going to die there? And if he does, I’m not going to tolerate this. Can he go to someone?” I don’t think he can get anyone, “she said.

At peak Sunday, 859 prisoners and 66 staff The COVID-19 test was positive. Since then, the number has dropped to 148 prisoners and 19 staff. According to the sheriff’s office, prisoners who were previously tested positive not only met the required quarantine period, but were retested, resulting in fewer prisoners.

Denver7 also learned on Thursday that the first face mask was offered to all prisoners on November 1st. Prisoners classified as special groups have not received masks.

In a statement to Denver7, the sheriff’s office stated that it has only provided masks to prisoners being transported up and down courts or corridors since July 24.

“I’m really surprised to learn that El Paso County Prison didn’t provide masks until last week when evidence of the outbreak was overwhelming,” said Mark Silver, Colorado’s Associated State Legal Director. Stein said. “I thought it was very reckless that the sheriff did not provide the mask until this outbreak went out of control.”

In June, ACLU sent a letter to all Colorado sheriff offices outlining a federal court order issued to protect prisoners during a pandemic. The court order stems from a May ruling against the Weld County Sheriff’s Office regarding the treatment of prisoners during a pandemic.

He is worried about outbreaks that extend beyond the prison population to the community as staff move in and out of work.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and the El Paso County Health Department told Denver 7 in a statement that some of the reasons the prisoners were not initially given masks were related to a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE). It was.

Another problem is that the mask cannot contain metal, such as a metal nose guard, as it is considered a contraband in prison.

“When it comes to mask mandates, we understand that this does not violate that mandate. This is because the prison acts as a prisoner’s quarter of residence and for that mission, wear a mask at the place of residence. The prisoners wore masks whenever they were outside their quarters, “says Michel Hewitt of the County Health Department, because they do not contain words that require them to do so.

The statement further states that the health sector has visited the site many times to assess the safety and mitigation measures being implemented.

“The CDC’s recommendations for inmate care in detention facilities are followed by prison staff,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a statement.

He says he is strengthening cleaning and disinfection efforts throughout the facility, creating ways to strengthen hygiene practices, and conducting regular screening.

Denver7 also contacted Republican lawmaker Doug Lamborn for a statement about the outbreak in prison.

Silverstein wants universal testing in all prisons, everyone wearing masks, social distance, and a declining prison population.

“This outbreak in El Paso County Prison makes it really essential for all sheriffs in the state to look at the prison’s population,” Silverstein said.

As for Fine, she wants an answer on how this can happen and what is being done to keep prisoners safe.

“I want an explanation of why it was said to be taken care of when it wasn’t done, and someone needs to be held accountable,” Fain said.