LA County Inmates Infect Themselves with COVID-19 to Get Early Release, Sherrif Says
Inmates in an LA County jail reportedly tried to infect themselves with the coronavirus pandemic in hopes it could grant them early release.
A video and evidence from within the facilities were published online. The footage showed the inmates drinking from a container that was reportedly contaminated by an inmate who tested positive for COVID-19. They were also seen hiding the infected container as part of their scheme to get an early release.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva said he was dismayed when he realized the prisoners intentionally infected themselves with the deadly virus.
A trustee inmate reportedly discovered the infected container. The prisoner came across a stash of items they believe would give them the respiratory virus.
According to law enforcement officials, the prisoners attacked a trustee who disrupted their coronavirus scheme by removing the items they claim was tainted with the disease.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 350 inmates were confirmed to be infected with the virus. The tally tripled since the end of April when health officials reported 115 additional cases.
Of the 357 prisoners who tested positive for the coronavirus, 117 have made a full recovery and over 222 other remain sick. The court allowed the early release of eighteen inmates after they were infected with the virus. However, they were granted freedom before meeting the US federal health agency's standards for being fully recovered.
Villanueva has made significant changes that greatly reduced the jail's population. As of Friday, the jails held 11,723 inmates-5,277 less than the number of inmates the prisons typically house.
Most of the infected individuals were placed at the Twin Towers, which is known as the world's largest jail and the United States' largest mental health facility. According to reports from the Sheriff's Department, 205 inmates tested positive inside the facility.
Inside the LA County jails, over 4,500 prisoners are currently placed under quarantine-2,000 of which are housed in the North County facility in Castaic.
Critics have continuously called out the LA County for "not doing enough" amid the rapid spread of the pandemic. A recent class-action lawsuit claims the corrections officials refused inmates access to coronavirus tests despite showing symptoms. They also said the prisoners lacked sufficient space to observe proper social distancing protocols. The lawsuit also claims inmates were denied soap and other hygiene products essential in fighting the COVID-19 infection.
Inspector General Max Huntsman said one dorm at the Los Angeles Men's Central Jail saw over a hundred people clustered and housed in bunks that were only one metre apart. He also received complaints of an overwhelming number of inmates who are still waiting to be tested despite showing symptoms related to the coronavirus. Huntsman said 43 people were eligible for early release.
New York, California, and Ohio were among the first states to issue an early release to incarcerated people to prevent a devastating outbreak within the federal enclosures.
The Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission is planning to subpoena Villanueva to discuss how he handled the coronavirus outbreak in the state's jails.
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