With about 200,000 people flowing into and out of jails every week, there are great risks not only for the detained, but also for jail workers and surrounding communities.

By Anna Flagg and Joseph Neff

Picture thousands of cruise ships jammed with guests but short on hand sanitizer, protective gear and medical care. Every week, a quarter of the passengers get off, replaced by new people with the potential to either infect or be infected with the coronavirus.

There is a place like that in your community: the county jail, captained by your local elected sheriff, who is charged with preventing Covid-19 outbreaks but most likely has limited supplies and often no say in who enters and leaves the jail.

Both in large jails located in virus hot spots like New York and Seattle and in smaller jails across the country, the churn of people moving in and out threatens to accelerate the spread of the disease, endangering the incarcerated, the staff and the larger community. Some states and jurisdictions have responded by releasing prisoners or cutting jail time, but many have not.

The Churn in America’s Jails

With about 200,000 people flowing into and out of jails every week, there are risks not only for the detained, but also for jail workers and surrounding communities.

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