Life During COVID for Court-Involved People

Data from a unique survey of court-involved New Yorkers collected during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 provides evidence for a cycle of disadvantage involving penal control, material hardship, and health risk. We find evidence of chaotic jail conditions from March to May 2020 in the early phase of the pandemic, and high levels of housing and food insecurity, and joblessness for those leaving jail or with current criminal cases. The highest levels of material hardship—measured by housing insecurity, unemployment, shelter stays, and poor self-reported health—were experienced by those with mental illness and substance use problems who had been incarcerated.

Problem-solving Covid-19: A qualitative inquiry into how correctional officers and administrators have responded to the dynamic problems of the coronavirus pandemic

Jail administrators and officers have been confronted with a number of workplace problems as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Ever since its emergence, they have been required to contain outbreaks of the virus, manage a correctional population that has grown increasingly frustrated over restrictions imposed on their movements, and contend with health protocols that have been in a constant state of fluctuation. This article commences the literature on how exactly jail staff have responded to these serious problems. Semistructured interview data collected from administrators and officers employed in a county-level jail located in the southeastern United States (N = 21) revealed how, to contain viral spread, respondents received the vaccine and wore masks at all times while working. Trauma-informed leadership was embraced by superiors to help their line-staff deal with the confusion created by constant health policy changes, while gentle communication styles were adopted to de-escalate potentially hostile interactions with detainees. Implications for correctional policy and practice are discussed in light of these findings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Weaponizing and resisting time: Race, gender and punishment

This dissertation explores time and imprisonment: I center the narratives of women, their understanding of the ordering of the clock, and experiences of time while they navigated the criminal justice system. I conducted ethnographic research with currently and formerly incarcerated women in and around upstate New York from February 2018 through February 2022. Discussions were centered around issues they were facing while on the inside and how we as advocates-though limited-could help. Interviews probed for how time was understood, passed, and even resisted inside jails and prisons. Women's time, especially poor women and women of color, are subject to greater levels of punishment, which can be seen through and in public and private spheres. I argue time is structurally and physically weaponized against the incarcerated women and their families. I simultaneously expose how time is used as a means of power and social control in, by, and through the government and the criminal justice system. I thus look at how the management of time is key to statecraft. The weaponization of time is at the discretion of the state and its actors-all of which was exacerbated by the looming COVID-19 pandemic. I also discuss how women negotiated, marked, and understood the time of imprisonment in both jail and prison spaces. Finally, I address how incarcerated people created means to combat these abuses of power-from what Scott (1985) called 'weapons of the weak' to organized and collective forms of resistance. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Virtual testimony

Since the onset of COVID-19, there was a rush of virtual forensic evaluations and testimony, all for compelling and rational reasons. At different times, jails have not allowed visitors, and courtrooms have been closed to in-person trials and hearings, and sometimes they have just been closed, period. Some research on virtual participation that emerged during the COVID pandemic built on earlier videoconferencing studies. This chapter draws on the experiences of colleagues, especially those of Denis Zavodny and Caroline Parrott, who have had much experience in virtual testimony. Many paths lead to effective as well as ineffective virtual testimony. The experiences of experts testifying by Zoom vary considerably. Workshops and talks are now presented on the topic of virtual testimony. Such testimony offers the possibilities of better and worse experiences for experts, and one can anticipate more guidelines and advice coming forth in the near future. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Covid-19 vaccine acceptance among individuals incarcerated in Connecticut state jails.

BACKGROUND: Vaccine hesitancy is common among incarcerated populations and, despite vaccination programs, vaccine acceptance within residents remains low, especially within jails. With the goal of assessing the Connecticut DOC's COVID-19 vaccine program within jails we examined if residents of DOC operated jails were more likely to become vaccinated following incarceration than in the community. Specifically, we conducted a retrospective cohort analysis among people who spent at least one night in a DOC-operated jail between February 2 and November 8, 2021, and were eligible for vaccination at the time of incarceration (intake). We compared the vaccination rates before and after incarceration using an age-adjusted survival analysis with a time-varying exposure of incarceration and an outcome of vaccination. RESULTS: During the study period, 3,716 people spent at least one night in jail and were eligible for vaccination at intake. Of these residents, 136 were vaccinated prior to incarceration, 2,265 had a recorded vaccine offer, and 479 were vaccinated while incarcerated. The age-adjusted hazard of vaccination following incarceration was significantly higher than prior to incarceration (12.5; 95% Confidence Intervals: 10.2-15.3). CONCLUSIONS: We found that residents were more likely to become vaccinated in jail than in the community. Though these findings highlight the utility of vaccination programs within jails, the low level of vaccination in this population speaks to the need for additional program development within jails and the community.

COVID-19 in Carceral Systems: A Review

As with past pandemics of influenza, COVID-19 tore through US prisons and jails;however, the COVID-19 pandemic, uniquely, has led to more health research on carceral systems than has been seen to date. Herein, we review the data on its impact on incarcerated people, correctional officers, health systems, and surrounding communities. We searched medical, sociological, and criminology databases from March 2020 through February 2022 for studies examining the intersection of COVID-19, prisons and jails, and health outcomes, including COVID-19 incidence, prevalence, hospitalizations, and vaccination. Our scoping review identified 77 studies-the bulk of which focus on disease epidemiology in carceral systems, with a small minority that focuses on the efficacy or effectiveness of prevention and mitigation efforts, including testing, vaccination, and efforts to depopulate correctional facilities. We highlight areas for future research, including the experiences of incarcerated people and correctional staff, unanticipated health effects of prolonged quarantine, excess deaths due to delays in healthcare, and experimental studies on vaccine uptake and testing in correctional staff. These studies will enable a fuller understanding ofCOVID-19 and help stem future pandemics.

Paths to Improving Pandemic Preparedness in Jails and Prisons: Perspectives of Incarcerated People and Correctional Staff

People who live and work In carcera! settings are at high risk for COVID-19.1 As of September 30, 2022, at least 622 968 people incarcerated in US prisons and 230168 staff members had been diagnosed with COVID-19, and 3185 had died.2 Compared with rates among the general population, average COVID-19 case rates in state and federal prisons are five times higher3 and mortality rates are at least double.4,5 Likewise, communities that are near correctional facilities have higher rates of COVID-19.6 Carceral systems, however, have not been fully integrated into public health responses to the pandemic. Few local governments have incorporated jails and prisons into their strategies for COVID-19 response and preparedness.7 The World Health Organization's recent comprehensive framework for COVID-19 response recommends that all countries conduct a substantive equity and inclusion analysis to inform programming, which should rely on "meaningful participation, collaboration, and consultation with subpopulations experiencing poverty and social exclusion. Because of this, it went entirely unenforced because enforcing rules in a carceral setting leads to conflict. Some people said joint vaccination and testing campaigns would facilitate trust in both groups;others said mental health services for correctional staff would foster professionalism in their interactions with incarcerated people.

Weaponizing and resisting time: Race, gender and punishment

This dissertation explores time and imprisonment: I center the narratives of women, their understanding of the ordering of the clock, and experiences of time while they navigated the criminal justice system. I conducted ethnographic research with currently and formerly incarcerated women in and around upstate New York from February 2018 through February 2022. Discussions were centered around issues they were facing while on the inside and how we as advocates-though limited-could help. Interviews probed for how time was understood, passed, and even resisted inside jails and prisons. Women's time, especially poor women and women of color, are subject to greater levels of punishment, which can be seen through and in public and private spheres. I argue time is structurally and physically weaponized against the incarcerated women and their families. I simultaneously expose how time is used as a means of power and social control in, by, and through the government and the criminal justice system. I thus look at how the management of time is key to statecraft. The weaponization of time is at the discretion of the state and its actors-all of which was exacerbated by the looming COVID-19 pandemic. I also discuss how women negotiated, marked, and understood the time of imprisonment in both jail and prison spaces. Finally, I address how incarcerated people created means to combat these abuses of power-from what Scott (1985) called 'weapons of the weak' to organized and collective forms of resistance. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

COVID-19 Preventive Measures in Northern California Jails: Perceived Deficiencies, Barriers, and Unintended Harms.

Background: Carceral facilities are high-risk settings for COVID-19 transmission. Little is known about the hidden burden of infection or practical barriers to infection control in these settings, especially in jails. There is also limited research on the mental health impacts of the pandemic among people living and working in carceral facilities. Methods: Between July 8, 2020 and April 30, 2021, we performed SARS-CoV-2 rapid antibody testing and administered a questionnaire among residents and staff of four Northern California jails. We utilized multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for demographic and carceral characteristics, to analyze factors associated with prior infection, including perceived likelihood of prior infection and access to new masks. We additionally assessed the implementation of, perceptions toward, and impacts of COVID-19 policies in practice. We engaged stakeholder representatives, including incarcerated individuals, to guide study design, procedures, and results interpretation. Results: We enrolled 788 jail residents and 380 jail staff. Nearly half of residents and two-thirds of staff who were antibody-positive had not previously tested positive for COVID-19. Among residents without a prior COVID-19 diagnosis, antibody positivity was significantly associated with perceived likelihood of prior infection (adjusted OR = 8.9; 95% CI, 3.6-22.0). Residents who had flu-like illness in jail cited inadequate responses to reported illness and deterrents to symptom reporting, including fears of medical isolation and perceptions of medical neglect. Residents also disclosed deficient access to face masks, which was associated with antibody positivity (adjusted OR = 13.8, 95% CI, 1.8-107.0). Worsened mental health was pervasive among residents, attributed not only to fear of COVID-19 and unsanitary jail conditions but also to intensified isolation and deprivation due to pandemic restrictions on in-person visitation, programs, and recreation time. Conclusion: Carceral settings present significant challenges to maintaining infection control and human rights. Custody officials should work diligently to transform the conditions of medical isolation, which could mitigate deterrents to symptom reporting. Furthermore, they should minimize use of restrictive measures like lockdowns and suspension of visitation that exacerbate the mental health harms of incarceration. Instead, custody officials should ensure comprehensive implementation of other preventive strategies like masking, testing, and vaccination, in conjunction with multisector efforts to advance decarceration.

COVID-19's Effect on Pregnancy Care for Incarcerated People.

Objective/background: Prisons and jails are high risk environments for COVID-19. Little is known about COVID-19's impact on pregnancy care for the tens of thousands of pregnant people who pass through these institutions each year. This study aimed to describe how COVID-19 has influenced prisons' and jails' pregnancy care services. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of a convenience sample of U.S. prisons and jails and report descriptive statistics. Results: We received 17 responses. Sites reported changes in prenatal care delivery, support programming, housing, and visitation. Most sites implemented changes in housing arrangements to quarantine individuals at-risk for COVID-19. Many sites increased their use of virtual technology to supplement for suspended in-person appointments, programming, and visitation. Conclusions: The impact of COVID-19 on pregnancy care delivery and support services for incarcerated pregnant people is variable. As the pandemic continues, research and policy should ensure that incarcerated pregnant people have access to full scope pregnancy care.

Ask Me Anything": Lessons learned in implementing a COVID-19 vaccine information initiative in Massachusetts jails.

As a group of medical professionals, faith-community leaders, and jail staff, we launched a COVID-19 vaccine Q&A initiative across Massachusetts county jails to increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence and uptake among detained individuals. Here we describe the lessons learned in developing and implementing this initiative.

Factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy among residents of Northern California jails.

Carceral facilities are high-risk settings for COVID-19 transmission. Factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy among incarcerated individuals are poorly understood, especially among jail residents. Here, we conducted a retrospective review of electronic health record (EHR) data on COVID-19 vaccine uptake in custody and additionally administered a survey to assess reasons for vaccine hesitancy, sources of COVID-19 information, and medical mistrust among residents of four Northern California jails. We performed multivariate logistic regression to determine associations with vaccine acceptance. Of 2,564 jail residents offered a COVID-19 vaccine between March 19, 2021 and June 30, 2021, 1,441 (56.2%) accepted at least one dose. Among vaccinated residents, 497 (34.5%) had initially refused. Vaccine uptake was higher among older individuals, women, those with recent flu vaccination, and those living in shared housing. Among 509 survey respondents, leading reasons for vaccine hesitancy were concerns around side effects and suboptimal efficacy, with cost and the need for an annual booster being other hypothetical deterrents to vaccination. Vaccine hesitancy was also associated with mistrust of medical personnel in and out of jail, although this association varied by race/ethnicity. Television and friends/family were the most common and most trusted sources of COVID-19 information, respectively. Overall, vaccine acceptance was much lower among jail residents than the local and national general population. Interventions to increase vaccination rates in this setting should utilize accessible and trusted sources of information to address concerns about side effects and efficacy, while working to mitigate medical and institutional mistrust among residents.

COVID-19’s Impact on Black, Female Correctional Officers and Justice-Involved Individuals at Rikers Island Jail

Through in-depth interviews, this study focuses on the experiences and perceptions of 15 Black, female correctional officers (COs) employed at Rikers Island, one of the country’s biggest jail complexes. Furthermore, this paper underlines the experiences of COs during the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit New York City particularly hard in spring 2020. Thematic analysis suggests that participants do not receive needed mental health services from the Department of Correction;experience physical and mental health stressors as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic;and negatively perceive the impact of COVID-19 on the physical and mental health of justice-involved individuals. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Crime & Delinquency is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among women leaving jails: A qualitative study.

In many correctional facilities across the United States, COVID-19 vaccine refusal rates are as high as 50%. Most women leaving jails have low SES, health literacy, and mistrust of governmental institutions, thus exacerbating existing health disparities and making women leaving jail vulnerable. Data from 25 interviews with recently released women suggest that interventions to promote vaccines to this population will have to address health education and mitigate mistrust, misinformation, and conspiracy theories.

A call to protect patients, correctional staff and healthcare professionals in jails and prisons during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This editorial describes why surge planning in the community must account for potential infection outbreaks in jails and prisons, and why incarcerated people and those in contact with them, including over 450,000 correctional officers and thousands of healthcare staff working in prisons, are at significant risk of COVID-19 exposure. We then explain how our nation's jails and prisons will continue to serve as breeding grounds for devastating COVID-19 outcomes and offer specific guidance and a call to action for the immediate development of correctional healthcare strategies designed to protect the health and safety of patients and correctional and healthcare staff and the communities in which they are situated. Correctional officers and correctional healthcare professionals need the nation's reassurance during this dire time that they will not be abandoned and further stigmatized for responding to the needs of incarcerated people. Our collective health depends on it.