Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Apr 23;70(16):589-594.
doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7016a3.

COVID-19 Outbreaks in Correctional Facilities with Work-Release Programs - Idaho, July-November 2020

Eileen M Dunne, Ellie Morgan, Bruce Wells-Moore, Samuel Pierson, Sandra Zakroff, Lindsay Haskell, Kimberly Link, Jodie Powell, Ian Holland, Kai Elgethun, Christopher Ball, Rene Haugen, Christine G Hahn, Kris K Carter, Christine Starr

COVID-19 Outbreaks in Correctional Facilities with Work-Release Programs - Idaho, July-November 2020

Eileen M Dunne et al. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. .

Abstract

As of April 16, 2021, U.S. correctional and detention facilities reported 399,631 cases of COVID-19 in incarcerated persons, resulting in 2,574 deaths (1). During July 14-November 30, 2020, COVID-19 was diagnosed in 382 persons incarcerated in Idaho correctional facilities with work-release programs. Work-release programs (which place incarcerated persons in community businesses) have social and economic benefits, but might put participants at increased risk for bidirectional transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) operates 13 state-run correctional facilities, including six low-security facilities dedicated to work-release programs. This report describes COVID-19 outbreaks in five IDOC facilities with work-release programs,* provides the mitigation strategies that IDOC implemented, and describes the collaborative public health response. As of November 30, 2020, 382 outbreak-related COVID-19 cases were identified among incarcerated persons in five Idaho correctional facilities with work-release programs; two outbreaks were linked to food processing plants. Mitigation strategies that helped to control outbreaks in IDOC facilities with work-release programs included isolation of persons with COVID-19, identification and quarantine of close contacts, mass testing of incarcerated persons and staff members, and temporary suspension of work-release programs. Implementation of public health recommendations for correctional and detention facilities with work-release programs, including mass testing and identification of high-risk work sites, can help mitigate SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks. Incarcerated persons participating in work-release should be included in COVID-19 vaccination plans.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. Kris K. Carter is an ex-officio nonvoting member of the Idaho Governor’s COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee. No other potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

Figures

FIGURE
FIGURE
COVID-19 cases among incarcerated persons in four correctional facility community reentry centers (CRCs) and one work camp, by date of specimen collection and county COVID-19 incidence — Idaho, June 1–November 30, 2020
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. CDC. CDC COVID data tracker. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2020. Accessed April 16, 2021. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#correctional-facilities
    1. CDC. COVID-19: interim guidance on management of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in correctional and detention facilities. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2020. Accessed January 5, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/correction-detention...
    1. Hagan LM, Williams SP, Spaulding AC, et al. Mass testing for SARS-CoV-2 in 16 prisons and jails—six jurisdictions, United States, April–May 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020;69:1139–43. 10.15585/mmwr.mm6933a3 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Njuguna H, Wallace M, Simonson S, et al. Serial laboratory testing for SARS-CoV-2 infection among incarcerated and detained persons in a correctional and detention facility—Louisiana, April–May 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020;69:836–40. 10.15585/mmwr.mm6926e2 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Wadhwa A, Fisher KA, Silver R, et al. Identification of presymptomatic and asymptomatic cases using cohort-based testing approaches at a large correctional facility—Chicago, Illinois, USA, May 2020. Clin Infect Dis 2020. Epub December 3, 2020. 10.1093/cid/ciaa1802 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Substances