COVID-19 in a Correctional Facility

It was evident early on in the pandemic that incarcerated individuals were at an increased risk for COVID-19. Many prisons, including facilities in Rhode Island, were simply not designed to prevent the spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19. Based on the data available, Rhode Island joined other states in providing lifesaving medicine to this marginalized population. It wasn’t a popular decision, but it is one that the Rhode Island Department of Health continues to support. In this episode of Public Health Out Loud, Dr. Justin Berk outlines the driving reasons for the decision and how it benefitted the broader community. “People are coming in and out. No jail is an island. Individuals are incarcerated and released, but we also have people coming in: correctional officers, social workers, physicians, dentists, and lawyers,” said Dr. Berk, who was named the acting medical director at the Department of Corrections in December. Join Dr. Jim McDonald and Dr. Philip Chan for another episode that sheds light on one of the most hotly debated issues in the state and the nation.