ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the nature and extent of COVID-19 outbreaks across the United States and documents the disproportionate impact of the virus on incarcerated individuals. Three primary causes for the outbreaks in US prisons are identified: (1) overcrowded prisons and jails, (2) inadequate prison and jail infrastructure and health care, and (3) the poor health status of prisoners and pre-trial detainees due to inadequate health care in their home communities. We provide an overview of the three main types of mitigation strategies employed by US corrections officials: (1) front-end mitigation strategies, (2) in-prison mitigation strategies, including vaccines, and (3) back-end mitigation strategies. We highlight variations in the utilisation of each of these strategies by location and over time, as the virus and its new mutations spread across the country. We conclude our review by offering an assessment of the effectiveness of current mitigation strategies. Based on this assessment, we offer an aggressive agenda for research and policy reform with applications not only to the United States, but globally.
