COVID-19 in corrections: Quarantine of incarcerated people

• Authors: Morgan Maner, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Katherine LeMasters, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Jennifer Lao, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Mariah Cowell, University of North Carolina, Salt Lake City; Kathryn Nowotny, University of Miami, Coral Gables; David Cloud, Emory University; Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Journal Title: PLoS One
• Volume: Volume 16, Number 10
• Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS) | 2021-10-05
• Type of Work: Article | Final Publisher PDF
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0257842
• Subjects: Health Sciences, Epidemiology; Sociology, Public and Social Welfare; Health Sciences, Education
• Keywords: COVID-19; Quarantine; infections; Single-cell quarantine; COVID-19 Testing

Abstract

Carceral settings in the United States have been the source of many single site COVID-19 outbreaks. Quarantine is a strategy used to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in correctional settings, and specific quarantine practices differ state to state. To better understand how states are using quarantine in prisons, we reviewed each state’s definition of quarantine and compared each state’s definition to the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) definition and recommendations for quarantine in jails and prisons. Most prison systems, 45 of 53, define quarantine, but definitions vary widely. No state published definitions of quarantine that align with all CDC recommendations, and only 9 states provide quarantine data. In these states, the highest recorded quarantine rate occurred in Ohio in May 2020 at 843 per 1,000. It is necessary for prison systems to standardize their definitions of quarantine and to utilize quarantine practices in accordance with CDC recommendations. In addition, data transparency is needed to better understand the use of quarantine and its effectiveness at mitigating COVID-19 outbreaks in carceral settings.