By: Timothy Kays
As of the afternoon of May 1, Williams County had 36 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, brought about by the coronavirus that has swept the globe over the past four-plus months. Those 36 cases rank Williams County with the highest concentration of the disease in the area.
As of May 1, Henry County has 5 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, and Paulding County has 8. Fulton County, adjacent to Toledo and Lucas County has 24 cases, and Defiance County, who has a greater population than Williams County, has 20. Why does Williams County have more COVID-19 cases than Defiance, Paulding and Henry Counties combined, and is this an indicator of a greater threat to the public at large?
The answer is no. The greatest concentration of the highly infectious respiratory ailment is not found in the general populus…it is found within the walls of the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio (CCNO) where 19 inmates and 6 staff members have contracted COVID-19.
“The entire country became aware of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in late January to early February of this year,” said CCNO Executive Director Dennis Sullivan in a prepared report that detailed the early action plans for disease interdiction.
“With little-to-no knowledge of how the virus was transmitted or how it would affect its host, discussion and preparation began by governments, agencies, businesses, and homes across the country in varying degrees.”
“Being a correctional facility that has no capability of temporarily shutting down,” Sullivan continued, “…CCNO leadership was aware that the best tactic to fight a viral outbreak within this setting was to prevent it from entering at all.
Using suggestions from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), facility leadership adapted several operational adjustments that were implemented in order to reduce the likelihood of COVID-19 invading the jail.”
The pandemic response plan of CCNO was implemented in several stages. “On March 6,” Sullivan explained, “…we took our initial step by advising staff and inmates of the preventive measures recommended to avoid becoming ill which include frequent hand washing with soap and water and avoid touching one’s face. On March 11, CCNO leadership suspended all non-essential persons accessing the jail. By locking the front lobby doors, no public access was allowed in the facility.”
The resultant effects to the facility included:
- All public tours were cancelled
- Volunteers are no longer able to come in and provide services; this included religious services (bibles are available to the inmate population in both hard copy and digital; we coordinated with our tablet provider GIL and local religious organizations to stream services via the tablets)
- Video visits with inmates are only able to be done from home
- Professional visitors are encouraged to utilize either video arraignment video visitation, non-contact visitation, specialized attorney phone bank, or visitation through the tablet provider, GTL; to facilitate the suggestion, GTL currently allows for free visits between attorneys and their clients
- If an attorney insists on a face to face visit both parties are advised of the potential risk involved with this type of contact
- Courts are encouraged to utilize video arraignment whenever possible to reduce inmate transportation to and from the facility
- Courts have been requested to consider electronic monitoring and/or GPS sentencing when appropriate to aid in reducing the number of new book-ins to the jail
- Courts agreed to remove inmates from the work release program
- Community Public Works (DPW) and Helping Inmates Through Training (HITT) programs are suspended
“It’s easily understood that social distancing is extremely difficult within a correctional setting,” said Sullivan in the release. “Inmates reside in close quarters and are moved throughout the facility for a variety of reasons. In a direct supervision setting like CCNO, staff work alongside inmates and can often find themselves in very close proximity and even hands-on with inmates in certain situations. Implementing social distancing measures at CCNO during the pandemic required creative thinking, cooperation, and teamwork.”
After many discussions and changes regarding the knowledge of the virus, the following procedural adjustments were made to identify best practices in supporting social distancing:
- Staff movement throughout the facility is restricted to only necessary movement staff are to avoid movement unless it’s to perform official duties to reduce excess contact
- Markings have been made throughout the facility to illustrate the six-foot rule of social distancing
- Movement of inmates is spread out to allow for the six feet of space necessary
- Employee break areas have been expanded to include outdoor areas and the visitation area to allow for social distancing
- Shift briefing will not be completed as a group; Officers are to report to their assigned unit and the Supervisor will come and brief them individually
- Classification has stopped performing interviews in small offices to eliminate close interactions; these interviews are conducted in the housing unit to support social distancing
- Inmates are instructed to stand back as far as possible in their bunk area during count time allowing for as much space as possible between themselves and the Officer
- Inmates moved to Intake for any reason will be placed in separate cells
- Minimum security units are given recreation time individually with no units being combined
- Medium, Maximum, and Medical units recreation time includes utilization of the Outside Recreation Areas (ORA) and recreational activities provided in their unit dayroom area
- The programming staff from A Renewed Mind (ARM) provides their classes in the unit where their office is located; ARM staff is not allowed in any other housing unit
- Ease management will continue with staff members instructed to avoid small office counseling
- GEO programming is done via individual studies with security staff moving prepared packets between the inmate and instructor; GED instructors are not allowed in any housing unit
- Library services continue with book-bins, however these bins are placed in the hallway outside of the housing unit the librarian is not allowed in the housing unit
- Chemicals are brought to the units and replaced as needed with Officer setting bottles/containers in
the hallway for the Warehouse Officer to fill; the Warehouse Officer is not allowed in a housing unit
We have been following a ‘stay at home’ order from Governor Mike DeWine, but how is an inmate at a correctional facility supposed to comply with the order? “Within a correctional setting, ‘home’ is your housing unit,” explained Sullivan. “As this order was evaluated by CCNO leadership, it was agreed that in this situation it would be best to keep the inmates and staff in the same housing units whenever possible.
This decision was very difficult, as we believe it’s best to always evaluate inmate housing/classification, as well as keep staff rotated. However, in the event we were to have a positive test for COVID-19, it would be easiest to assess and contain the spread if groups are kept intact. Equally important was to eliminate as much movement throughout the facility as possible.” The following steps were taken to keep inmates, staff ‘home’, and only move inmates when necessary:
- New book-ins are separated from general population for 14 days to be monitored for symptoms of COVID-19 prior to being reclassified to a housing unit
- During the 14 day separation from general population, inmates are only allowed out of their cells with other inmates who arrived at CCNO on the same day; additionally, these inmates are not allowed out of the unit unless for an emergency
- All movement of inmates in the facility is done on a unit by unit basis
- The number of inmates who can be moved at one time to and from work assignment is reduced
- Inmates who are going to Medical are transported unit by unit; staff will place inmates into one of the two waiting rooms by unit and they will have no contact with other inmates in the medical area
- Inmate disciplinary hearings are conducted in unit classrooms
- Movement lists are kept to minimal moves necessary and any move must be approved by the Commander of Operations
- There are no re-classifications of inmates from any unit without the approval of the Shift Commander
Sullivan explained the steps undertaken to emphasize handwashing and sanitization. “The initial steps of frequent handwashing and avoidance of touching one’s face was reiterated; however, as a deeper understanding of this virus was gained, it became imperative to increase cleaning and sanitization throughout the facility. Immediately additional soap was provided to inmates and staff, and hand sanitizer was made available in every unit.”
Cleaning and sanitizing the facility became a more coordinated matter, with the following procedures being implemented:
- Sanitizing wipes are provided to every unit to clean tablets multiple times throughout the day
- Every unit is cleaned at least once per shift with a bleach solution that has been approved by the CDC. This includes the Officer using a gallon sprayer to cover all surfaces and allowing it to air-dry
- Units housing separated inmates are sanitized after each group of inmates utilizes the dayroom area
- Staff is required to sanitize the Intake cells prior to placing inmates in them and after removing the inmate from the cell
- All video arraignment areas are sanitized prior to placing inmates in them and after the court session is completed
- Linen exchange is mandatory and bunks are sanitized prior to clean linens being issued
- All transportation vehicles are sanitized after each time inmates are unloaded and before any other inmates are placed back in the vehicle/bus
- In Medical, after each waiting room is emptied, the medical officer or medical staff will sanitize the waiting rooms prior to any other unit/inmate being placed in them
- At the end of recreation, each outgoing unit is responsible for sanitizing the entire gym before leaving
- The facility entrance and lobby area is sanitized after each shift change
- Inmates separated from general population are served meals in Styrofoam containers that are disposed of after they have completed their meal
The monitoring of symptoms is obviously a matter of great importance in controlling the spread of the disease. “As it was learned that COVID-19 can be carried unknowingly by a host,” Sullivan said, “…CCNO implemented monitoring temperatures for those still working along with our inmate population. Being a facility that provides in-house medical services, we were able to develop procedures for regular symptom monitoring.”
The procedures implemented included:
- Staff temperatures are taken prior to entering the secured perimeter daily
- The Williams County Health Department (WCHD) created a spreadsheet to monitor COVID-19-type symptoms of staff who call off sick (including contract staff)
- Inmates who are being transported as a new book-in through CCNO transportation have their temperature taken prior to being placed in our vehicle
- Medical staff takes inmate temperatures once every day
- Medical staff utilizes the same spread sheet created by the WCHD to monitor COVID-19-type symptoms of inmates
- Any individual with permission to enter our facility has their temperature taken at the front entrance
- CCNO’s medical provider communicated with the inmates to immediately report any COVID-19-like symptoms to their unit Officer who would contact medical so they can be evaluated
- Medical staff monitors all inmates three times daily during their 14-day separation period
Even prior to the coronavirus pandemic, clear communications between staff and inmates was essential. Communications about the pandemic are now paramount. “From the beginning,” Sullivan said, “…we have had countless conversations with our local health department, at times speaking to them daily about the virus and if we are taking appropriate precautions. We must take the initiative to learn as much as possible, as quickly as possible, so that we are proactive in combating this virus as opposed to being reactive.”
These enhanced communication protocols include:
- Employees were provided with N95 respirator masks and face shields
- Cloth face coverings are offered to inmates who must travel out of our facility (i.e. court, medical appointment)
- Staff Briefing Training includes topics directly related to COVID-19 to include articles provided by the CDC
- The inmate tablets are utilized to convey information to inmates and help calm their anxiety by giving them information and keeping them up-to-date
- A recommendation was made for staff to keep a ‘personal log’ documenting their activities and close contacts while at work and at home in case they would get COVID-19
- A video made by the CDC is played for the inmate population three times per day and covers proper hygiene, sanitation, and social distancing
- CDC posters were hung throughout the facility and placed on video signage to convey the message of prevention along with how to identify symptoms
Despite all the preparation though, the virus was carried inside by new inmates, and COVID-19 spread, forcing more efforts on disease interdiction, including shutting the doors to new inmates. The result showed in the stress and trepidation of the inmates, but quick thinking and prompt actions by the facility staff have significantly slowed the progression of the disease and brought about calm.
“We’ve got 19 lab confirmed,” Sullivan said on April 30, “…and six confirmed with the staff. Six staff members tested positive for COVID-19, and we’ve got 19 inmates tested positive. Our response, what we’ve been doing in the facility since March 11, we started…that sanitation schedule that we’re doing in all the units. We do it three times a day.”
“We’ve been doing temperature checks on staff since then. We’ve been doing temperature checks on inmates daily as well. We’ve handed out surgical masks to all the inmates. We have isolation units. We have quarantine units. The 19 are isolated; that means that they are symptomatic. Quarantines are inmates that are not symptomatic, but have been exposed.”
On the morning of May 1, Mr. Sullivan met with the CCNO Executive Committee to evaluate where they have been with the COVID-19 situation, where they are now, and how to blaze a path forward through still uncharted territory.
“We opened back up,” Sullivan reported after the meeting, a shot of much needed good news. “Basically, hopefully the jurisdictions continue to look at their population and don’t overcrowd us, which they won’t because the judges are paying attention and doing a good job with who needs to be in jail and who doesn’t right now. We’ll see how it works out.”
Timothy can be reached at tim@thevillagereporter.com