MA Coronavirus: 37 Percent Of Tested Inmates Have Virus

MIDDLETON, MA — Since a sweeping Supreme Judicial Court ruling earlier this month aimed at protecting Massachusetts inmates, correctional officers and staff from the new coronavirus, the Department of Corrections has tested 257 inmates for COVID-19.

Of those tests, 97 — or 37.7 percent — have come back positive. Meanwhile, 65 correctional officers and 21 staff members have also tested positive for coronavirus.

Those details were released in the weekly special master's report for April 20 that was required under the SJC ruling. Massachusetts has released 490 inmates from the state's prisons and jails in the first two weeks following the SJC ruling, which said people charged with most crimes and awaiting trial should be released without bail "unless an unreasonable danger to the community would result, or the individual presents a very high risk of flight."

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The report shows that Essex County Jail in Middleton continues to be plagued with the new coronavirus. As of April 20, 43 inmates had tested positive, up from 32 cases a week earlier. Only one additional correctional officer tested positive, bringing the total to nine, while two additional staff members tested positive, bringing the total to three.

Statewide, the numbers are likely much higher. Jails in Barnstable, Dukes, and Franklin Counties have not administered any tests to inmates, even after staff and correctional officers tested positive. Other state jails have administered fewer than 10 tests to inmates.

Related Story: Violent North Shore Robbery Suspect Wants Coronavirus Release

On Monday, the Committee for Public Counsel Services and the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, which filed the original lawsuit leading to the weekly reporting regulation, filed a complaint against the Department of Corrections. The two groups said the department has failed to provide daily reports with facility-specific images, as the high court had mandated.

"The failure to furnish this facility-specific information during a growing pandemic puts incarcerated people, prison staff, and the surrounding communities at greater risk from an outbreak. It prevents incarcerated people and their lawyers from giving complete information to courts about the spread of COVID-19 within the Commonwealth's prison system, which is highly pertinent to any request for release," the complaint said.

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Dave Copeland writes for Patch and can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).