Sign on to call for a testing blitz and other measures to control the Virus in Arizona prisons

Beginning this Spring, Valley Interfaith Project (VIP) and the Arizona Interfaith Network (AIN) have been urging the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR) and Arizona Department of Health Services (DHS) to protect prison staff, inmates, and their families during the COVID-19 crisis.

On Tuesday August 4, it was reported that half the population of the Whetstone Unit of the Arizona State Prison Complex, 517 individuals, have tested positive for COVID-19.  

VIP and AIN Clergy and leaders are concerned that without immediate and drastic action, the lives and health of inmates, correctional officers, and the larger community will be jeopardized.

FROM VIP: We are calling on ADCRR Director David Shinn and DHS Director Dr. Cara Christ to:

• Immediately implement a universal testing blitz to test all inmates and staff within three weeks. The current plan is proceeding too slowly. Prisoners, employees and the families of both are suffering and, in some cases, dying. Use a portion of the state’s substantial CARES Act resources towards this effort. 

• Expedite compassionate early release of selected inmates to reduce both prison crowding and the spread of the virus. Do this in a secure manner consistent with public safety as is being done by other state and federal corrections agencies. That could include people who are over 60, those with underlying health conditions and/or are nearing their release date. To protect the health of those both inside and outside the prisons, it is imperative we lessen the current crowding to ensure inmates and correctional officers can live and work at least 6 feet apart.

• Develop a quarantine system for outgoing prisoners who may have been exposed to Covid-19 before they return to their families and communities, 
  and accelerate Medicaid enrollment for those re-entering society so that they have immediate access to health care and do not delay treatment post-release should they become ill.

• Provide adequate PPE. It is now a requirement in our lives and should be drastically increased in availability within the prison community. Everyone is entitled to a safe place to live and work.

Click here for the full text of the petition and a link to sign.