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Dept. of Correction to allow face masks

Officers voice concerns over COVID-19 Outbreak

Matt Shortall - Co-editor
Posted 4/2/20

REGION — While many people are staying home as the number of COVID-19 cases rise throughout the state, there's thousands of workers in one industry for whom working from home isn't an option.

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Dept. of Correction to allow face masks

Officers voice concerns over COVID-19 Outbreak

Posted

REGION — While many people are staying home as the number of COVID-19 cases rise throughout the state, there's thousands of workers in one industry for whom working from home isn't an option.

“In prison, there's very few ways to practice social distancing,” said Corrections Officer (CO) Nicole Dirie Rogerson.

The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) employs nearly 30,000 people who are responsible for some 43,000 incarcerated individuals and over 35,000 individuals under community supervision.

As of Thursday, Acting Commissioner Anthony Annucci said that “the Department has had a number of staff as well as 20 of our more than 43,000 incarcerated individuals test positive.”

DOCCS has said that, for security reasons, they are not disclosing information on the facilities where those impacted work.

Many Sullivan County residents are employed at five state prisons all within 30 miles of each other -- Sullivan, Woodbourne, Otisville, Eastern and Ulster Correctional Facilities.

Until recently, DOCCS would not permit COs to wear N95 masks because it wasn't part of their uniform, unless it was deemed medically necessary.

That changed this week when Annucci announced that, effective immediately, staff can wear either an N95 respirator or a surgical-type mask while on duty inside of the correctional facility.

“While neither the CDC or the DOH has recommend use of these personal protective devices in the correctional setting beyond what the Department has already provided, to the extent staff already possesses these items and will not be reducing their availability to frontline healthcare workers, the Department will not oppose their use if there is a chance that they may slow or even stop the spread of this virus from entering our facilities,” Annucci said. “In addition, incarcerated individuals who are subject to quarantine will be issued a surgical-type mask to further reduce the risk of any secondary transmission of COVID-19.”

It's true that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) doesn't recommend N95 respirators to the general public for protection from respiratory illness. They maintain the safest way to avoid COVID-19 is by washing your hands and encouraging people to stay home when they feel sick. Although for “essential workers” like Rogerson and other COs, staying home uses up sick time and personal days.

“There's officers who have immune system issues, whether they're going through cancer treatments, have cardiac issues, diabetes or all these other issues,” Rogerson said. And if the officers don't have any of these issues themselves many have family members at home who do.

“We are the forgotten front line workers,” Rogerson said.

Rogerson works at Sullivan Correctional Facility but has been out on medical leave and plans to return next week. Her husband continues to work at Woodbourne Correctional Facility. They're concerned about their young son who received a heart transplant six years ago.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System has said that, at the moment, there's limited data on whether transplant recipients or those with chronic diseases could be more severely affected by the coronavirus.

Mike Mazzella, Mid-Hudson Region Vice President of the New York State Correction Officer and Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA), said he's grateful that DOCCS is allowing the use of N95 style masks as the union has been advocating for, but takes issue with DOCCS not providing them.

“NYSCOPBA will not put a price on the safety of our members and will be purchasing masks for them,” Mazzella said.

State Senator Jen Metzger, who represents the 42nd State Senate District that includes all of Sullivan County as well as parts of Orange, Ulster and Delaware Counties, supported Annuci's announcement.

“As the representative of seven correctional facilities under state jurisdiction, I have been greatly concerned about the protections and protocols in place for corrections officers, staff, and inmates, and have received a number of complaints from individual employees and their families requesting better protections and information to combat the spread of COVID-19,” Sen. Metzger said in a statement released Wednesday.

“With so many individuals in close quarters, the threat of contagion is particularly great in correctional facilities. After calling and writing the DOCCS Commissioner urging him to address these concerns, I am glad to see that DOCCS has dropped the prohibition against employees wearing masks, and continue to call on him to do all he can to protect the health and safety of employees, their families, and incarcerated individuals.”

Other Steps Being taken

Annucci said that DOCCS has suspended visitations at their facilities, halted intake from county jails, limited the transfer of incarcerated individuals except for medical or exigent circumstances and limited “to the extent possible” the use of double bunks and double celling as well as instituted social distancing in mess halls and other congregate areas.

Annucci said DOCCS has instituted mandatory staff screening at facility entrances.

Some COs have expressed concern that transfers and visitations should have stopped earlier. As recently as March 19, NYSCOPBA President Mike Powers said the state was continuing to transport inmates between facilities.

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