‘Cocooning' in prison during COVID-19: Findings from recent research in Ireland

The advent of COVID-19 prompted the enforced isolation of elderly and vulnerable populations around the world, for their own safety. For people in prison, these restrictions risked compounding the isolation and harm they experienced. At the same time, the pandemic created barriers to prison oversight when it was most needed to ensure that the state upheld the rights and wellbeing of those in custody. This article reports findings from a unique collaboration in Ireland between the Office of the Inspector of Prisons – a national prison oversight body – and academic criminologists. Early in the pandemic, they cooperated to hear the voices of people ‘cocooning' – isolated because of their advanced age or a medical vulnerability – in Irish prisons by providing journals to this cohort, analysing the data, and encouraging the Irish Prison Service to change practices accordingly. The findings indicated that ‘cocooners' were initially ambivalent about these new restrictions, both experiencing them as a punishment akin to solitary confinement, and understanding the goal of protection. As time passed, however, participants reported a drastic impact on their mental and physical health, and implications for their (already limited) agency and relationships with others, experienced more or less severely depending on staff and management practices. The paper also discusses the implications for prison practices during and following the pandemic, understanding isolation in the penological context, and collaboration between prison oversight bodies and academics.

The Pains and Gains of COVID-19 - Challenges to Child First Justice in the Pandemic.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has particularly affected justice-involved children. Youth justice policy changes and innovations have assisted communication and engagement with these vulnerable children during unprecedented times, while attempting to limit risks of contagion and criminalisation - all central tenets of the 'Child First' guiding principle for the Youth Justice System of England and Wales. While some changes have enhanced the experiences of some justice-involved children (gains), others have disproportionately disadvantaged justice-involved children in court, community and custody contexts (pains), increasing criminalisation, disengagement and anxiety. These pains of COVID-19 have effectively eroded the rights of this already-vulnerable group of children.

PENITENTIARY INSTITUTIONS AND COVID-19: HOW TO STOP THE VIRUS AND GUARANTEE HUMAN RIGHTS?

Starting the COVID-19 pandemic, physical and social distancing, besides wearing masks and frequent use of disinfectant, was and still is the most important preventive measure in stopping the spreading of the new coronavirus. Penitentiary institutions, especially the crowded ones, became a hard place to manage in stopping the infections. Why? Because these institutions are the ones where there is even more need to balance health protection with human rights. Using medical isolation and quarantine in the process of prevention of infections with SARS-CoV-2 virus, is complicated as result of the use of punitive solitary confinement as disciplinary sanction. The paper analyses the possible methods of protection of prisoners' health during COVID-19 pandemic with parallel protection and respect of their basic and guaranteed human rights.

How the Pandemic Further Isolated the Incarcerated

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) workplace complaints rose by more than 15% between February and October 2020, with the majority revolving around unacceptable COVID-19 workplace conditions that essential workers had to endure1 however, this metric did not extend to the voices of incarcerated populations, who have been vital to the functioning of our society but have not received proper protection. When the system is allowed to engage in "violent inaction," incarcerated individuals are left purposefully hidden.2 The lack of data transparency in COVID-19 case reports and the personal protective equipment supplied to jails and prisons, coupled with sluggish legislation (e.g., the half-year gap in the tabling of the COVID-19 in Corrections Data Transparency Act), permits carceral facilities to mask the barbaric conditions faced by this vulnerable population. [...]human rights violations incarcerated individuals faced during the pandemic (and continue to face) include increased solitary confinement owing to lockdowns,3 canceled in-person visitations, and loss of physical mail from family members as cards were converted to PDFs.4 Many of us have seen our communities step up by asking for individuals to be released, advocating for vaccine prioritization, and working to address vaccine hesitancy in incarcerated settings.5,6 Unfortunately, that is not enough.