Federal Prisons Mark 10th Inmate Death

From the Florida Phoenix: By Laura Cassels - April 13, 2020

The federal prison system reported two more inmate deaths at U.S. prisons, bringing the nationwide total to 10. So far there are no deaths in Florida’s federal prisons.

The U.S. Bureau of Prisons reported the victims, both elderly men, died Thursday and Saturday after becoming sick in prison and being treated in local hospitals.

One was imprisoned at Oakdale Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Oakdale, LA, where five other inmates died previously. The other was incarcerated at Butner FCI in Butner, NC, marking that prison’s only fatality.

Three other inmates died previously in local hospitals after becoming infected at Elkton FCI in Lisbon, Ohio.

Around the country, federal prisons are holding 352 infected inmates and have sent 189 infected employees home, according to the Bureau of Prisons. Federal prisons incarcerate nearly 174,000 people nationwide and employ more than 36,000 staff.

While the U.S. prison system reported no deaths in Florida, two of Florida’s nine federal facilities have confirmed infections among employees: one at Coleman Federal Correctional Complex, a low-security prison in Sumter County, and two at Miami Federal Detention Facility, which jails people who were arrested but have not been convicted and could not post bail.

No infections were reported among inmates through Monday morning.

In Florida’s state prisons, 44 state corrections employees and 36 inmates are confirmed infected with COVID-19 as of Monday morning, at 20 state prisons and three of Florida’s four regional probation offices. There were no fatalities reported through Monday morning.

The Florida Department of Corrections says it incarcerates 96,000 inmates and employs 24,000 people.

This story was originally published by the Florida Phoenix. For more stories from the Florida Phoenix, visit FloridaPhoenix.com.