This week, County Executive Jason Garner announced that the Broome County Jail is a county “hot spot” for the spread of coronavirus. Weeks earlier, on March 14, 2020, JUST called for measures to protect incarcerated people, county employees, and the public through releases and other necessary measures. The unfolding tragedy was foreseeable, but county officials refused to listen. Instead, officials have offered ad hoc solutions, many listed below. Even today, officials are fingering-pointing, like newly elected District Attorney Korchak putting the onerous for releases on judges and defendants, instead of offering solutions. Sheriff Harder reports his inability to release people, yet he has the power to furlough incarcerated people. No furloughs of incarcerated people are known. Rather, he erroneously stated that jails were “safer”in jail even after the CDC issued guidelines to correctional facilities noting, in part, that “Incarcerated/detained persons live, work, eat, study, and recreate within congregate environments, heightening the potential for COVID-19 to spread once introduced.” Today, 21% of all cases are directly linked to the Broome County jail.
The BC jail is, in fact, one of the two most dangerous places the county at present, the other a nursing home.
While JUST and other organizations have been working to have as many incarcerated people release as feasible and offering solutions to protect our community going back to the beginning of the pandemic, elected officials dither.
The only solution to the this public health emergency for incarcerated people, corrections officers, and the community at is decarceration and rehousing in clean facilities outside the jail. Pods need to be closed so more staff can stay home, away from danger and reducing spread to their families and everyone else.
BC Jail News Roundup. These data are taken from various reliable contacts whose identities will be kept anonymous out of fear of retribution. Information is also taken and supported/verified by online informational sources. News agencies that wish to use this information but require confirmation or people who have more information about jail conditions and releases should contact justice.southern.tier@gmail.com. We encourage the dissemination of the information listed below.
1. According to Sherriff Harder, 21 people directly related to the Broome County Jail have tested positive for the novel coronavirus(as of April 9th2020). This means at least one fifth (21%) of all positive cases in Broome County are centered on the Broome County Jail. The Press and Sun Bulletin reports100 people in Broome County have tested positive for the novel coronavirus as of April 9th. All cases in the Town of Dickinson are of people incarcerated in the Broome County Jail (10). On April 7thBroome County Executive Jason Garner referred to the BCJ as a “hot spot”even prior to the sheriff’s April 9thannouncement that an addition 6 incarcerated people and 5 corrections officers positive for the novel coronavirus.
2. All incarcerated people who have tested positive so far are from a single pod. This pod contains a high number of people with chronic conditions that make them more vulnerable to the novel coronavirus, including diabetes, respiratory problems, and heart conditions.
3. These additional cases were known to JUST and reported to the press on Monday April 6th.
4. Several of those people diagnosed with COVID-19 have aliments that make them more susceptible to the disease.
5. It is likely—given publicly available information supported by other information—that the first CO who tested positive directly spread the virus to the incarcerated population via a medical transportation in early March.
6. As of April 6th, incarcerated people have very limited access to the law library. Requested legal materials are only being delivered once weekly.
7. We have reports of incarcerated people denied communication access while in quarantine and during medical evaluation. This has the effect of preventing loved ones and the community from knowing the extent of medical care provided for incarcerated people and hiding the number of cases in the jail.
8. Incarcerated people are only being provided 2 weekly free calls of no more than 5 minutes a piece.
9. Reports note that access to messaging and tablets have been greatly restricted or stopped in some units.
10. Reports note denial of free phone calls and envelopes to incarcerated people.
11. At least some incarcerated people are being kept in lockdown conditions, only allowed out daily for brief periods (10-20 minutes) to make a phone call or shower (they often have to choose one or the other given the limited time).
12. Incarcerated people are effectively being held in conditions of solitary confinement, typically used for disciplinary infractions.
13. Reports of bugs and worms crawling out of incarcerated people’s sinks (these have been constant complaints made to JUST over the last several years).
14. Incarcerated people are denied access to individual soaps or sanitizer.
15. Testing is only being provided to people with known symptoms.
16. The jail has initiated widespread use of negative pressure cells, a common technique used to limit reduce air-born containment in institutional settings.
17. There were 290 people incarcerated in the Broome County Jail as of April 8th2020
18. 65 employees enter the jail daily during just one shift.
19. Only on April 3rddid BCJ begin taking temperatures of incarcerated people.
20. 33 incarcerated people (approx.. 11% of incarcerated people) are held in dormitory settings.
21. Incarcerated people and jail staff were only provided masks and mandated to wear them as of April 6th, which is at least three weeks after the first BCJ CO exhibited symptoms of the novel coronavirus.
22. Weekend (intermittent) sentences were suspended sometime prior to April 8th.
23. While jail protocols allow attorney visitation, we are aware of at least one instance where an attorney was denied access to his client.
Denailism=death
#FreeBCJ
I have a sister in Broome County Correctional.She is in on a parole violation. She is an addict. She currently is awaiting a bed at Fairview Recovery. She has many health problems.She has COPD and asthma.She is in desperate need of a hip replacement.I dont think she deserves a death sentence for addiction. I am really scared she will get covid19.She is 54 years old. I dont know what to do.