Colorado COVID: Vaccine Program for Prisoners Critique

Denver-The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) previously announced a plan in which prisoners were vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccine in front of some high-risk populations.

Currently, the first vaccinations are for Colorado health care workers, first responders, and elderly people in nursing homes and life support facilities.

Then, in the 2A phase of the distribution plan, prisoners, people experiencing homelessness, students in dormitories, and others living in apartments are eligible to be vaccinated with the coronavirus vaccine. People over 65 are eligible for 2B.

Multiple COVID-19 outbreaks are associated with prisons in Colorado and other parts of the country. For example, in November, at least 911 prisoners in El Paso County Prison were virus-positive. The other 73 staff members were also positive.

Since the inception of the pandemic, a total of 4,550 criminals have been positive, of which 1,558 are active cases. Some facilities deal with hundreds of infections at once. The Colorado Department of Corrections (DOC) said the virus has killed 11 criminals, including four, in the last two days as a result of the surge in incidents.

In addition, 207 staff currently have COVIDs.

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There were some criticisms of the prisoner’s ration plan. Republican George Blaucher, district attorney for the 18th jurisdiction, argues that older people who do not live in assisted dwellings should be considered eligible for vaccination before living in prison. doing.

“Governor Police and his Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment have found that imprisoned murderers, rapists, and child molesters are more likely than the lives of Colorado adults and immunocompromised adults who comply with the law over the age of 65. Declared that he intends to prioritize health. ” Written in the editorial For the Denver Post this weekend. “As the son of a 78-year-old father, I ask this: what the hell is Governor Police doing?”

However, Democratic Governor Police has expressed an opinion that reflects Brawler’s opinion.

“There is no way to go to prisoners before going to those who haven’t committed crimes,” Police said in a conversation with Dr. Anthony Fauci on Tuesday, saying the vaccine would never go to prisoners before. It was. -Risk group.

Relation: Fauci says the “unstable risk” of COVID-19 infection over the next 30 days

In a statement from a police spokesperson later that day, the governor hinted that the state might fine-tune its current plans. They were put ahead of others just because they were prisoners. “

Some people feel that prisoners have already been abused during the pandemic. Jamie Amaral, a former prison guard at the Sterling Correctional Facility, quit her job for that reason and for what she said was a lack of communication and a dangerous environment.

“I don’t think everyone there really knows what to do, it’s not their specialty, you know-they aren’t doctors,” she said.

According to Amaral, some prisoners in Sterling did not want to work for fear of getting sick, and if they refused, they would be sent to a “hole”, or cell.

The DOC denied all her claims and said the ministry had brought in what was called an “external emergency medical expert.”

But for Amaral, who said she held the hand of one prisoner when he died, the prisoner needs a defender in a ripe prison for the spread of COVID-19.

“They don’t have the voice we have to speak for them,” she said.

Last month, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Official reconciliation Cooperation with DOC on the treatment of prisoners during a pandemic. All staff must wear masks and provide masks and soap to those in prison. The agreement also outlines a stronger cleaning protocol, free medical visits for symptomatological prisoners, and allows the ACLU to participate in ongoing audits.

Some of those arrangements were already in place.

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