Union leader calls on Iowa Prison to “shelter-in-place” to curb deadly COVID-19 outbreaks

Union leaders on behalf of Iowa prison officers “evacuate to place” in state prisons to delay the spread of the coronavirus that has infected more than 3,400 imprisoned individuals and employees so far. I want that.

The announcement comes the week after the Iowa Department of Corrections announces the first publicly known death of an employee by COVID-19, a staff member of the Iowa Women’s Correctional Facility in Mitchellville. As of Monday, eight imprisoned individuals had died of the disease.

AFSCME Council 61 President Danny Horman told reporters on Monday that drastic action was needed to prevent further deaths in Iowa Prison. He said the DOC had not properly quarantined or tested prisoners and called for a temporary suspension of new admissions and transfers within the facility.

“We need to close this department. We need a shelter-in-place. Leave all the prisoners where they are. And we need to do this for four weeks. Then inside the walls of the facility. You can see what’s going on, “says Hohmann...

Mr. Hohmann said that suspension of admission could put pressure on county sheriffs and their prisons as they wait for more people to be transferred, as the department did twice earlier during the pandemic. I admitted that there was.

“I’m sorry if it adversely affects the county prison,” Hohmann said. “I’m not doing this to make their lives more miserable. I’m trying to do this to thwart COVID-19 on-site in Iowa.”

DOC spokesman Cord Overton flatly rejected the shelter-in-place proposal, saying they would “transfer the burden” to county prisons as they also tried to keep the population low.

“In reality, every time we block admission, their prisons begin to fill with prisoners waiting to be transferred to prisons,” Overton said. “Many Iowa prisons are not designed to handle large numbers of prisoners over a long period of time.”

Congressmen say the DOC was at a “hard” staffing level before COVID

State legislature Rich Taylor D-Mount Pleasant, who had worked in Iowa prison for 26 years, also met with reporters and repeated the shelter-in-place proposal. He said the ministry’s efforts were hampered by inadequate funding and “pressure” from state leaders.

“I think the director is trying to do the right thing, but pressure from above, and when I say above, I’m under pressure from the governor’s office. [Director Beth Skinner] Because they do what they really need, “Taylor said.

A spokesperson for Governor Kim Reynolds declined to comment.

Taylor and state legislature. Wes Brickenridge D-Newton, who was also on the phone, said the DOC was underfunded and understaffed long before the pandemic. After being infected or exposed, dozens of employees were unable to work, exacerbating the “tension” of the rest of the staff.

“If you’re already working with the bare minimum, as it’s been going on for years, it’s much harder to fill those spots and gaps when you lose people on a COVID contract. “I will,” said Brickenridge.

According to Hohmann, the department relies heavily on forced overtime, with some executives working over 20 hours shifts.

Lindsay James State Legislature, D-Dubuk, and Sue McTaggart, the mother of an imprisoned individual, Told IPR The inmate was transferred from one prison to another in order to keep the kitchen up and running due to an outbreak of staff shortages.

Increased access to N95 masks after employee death

Mr. Hohmann said the DOC took action in the wake of the employee’s death. The ministry plans to provide N95 masks to more staff throughout the state, and Mr. Hohmann and his members said they were “begging.”

According to Overton, supply chain issues have limited which staff can get the N95, but it has become available to more staff in the past month.

“Last week we extended the use of N95 to all staff, not only to those who may be in close contact with positive or presumed positive prisoners, but to anyone who works in these types of units. I’ve notified you to do it, “said Overton.

If you do not have an N95, you will be instructed to wear two procedural masks and a face shield.

However, even with increased access to more effective PPE, Hohmann questioned the enforcement of the department’s policy of requiring imprisoned individuals to wear masks. Inmates’ loved ones question whether DOC staff are properly adhering to the same policy.

Hohmann also wants extensive testing of staff as well as imprisoned individuals. According to Overton, employees do not need to report results and rarely test.

The family of the imprisoned individual told the IPR that he was afraid that the COVID diagnosis behind the bar could result in the death penalty, with the death penalty abolished. 1965.. Hohmann repeated this and his fear of employees, and the death toll was already too high. 2,208 Iowa As of Monday evening.

“People’s lives depend on it. Iowa also lost people. Too many citizens died. I don’t know what the long-term effects of this virus are,” Hohmann said. I am. “And I don’t want to see anyone else die.”