Stress and anxiety are running high at this time especially among our healthcare workers, law enforcement, city officials and even our correctional officers.
The first death from the COVID-19 (coronavirus) in regards to the Oakdale Federal Correctional Complex occurred Saturday, March 28. It’s not only prisoners at risk in Louisiana’s prison systems but its employees.
Ronald Morris, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1007 and a maintenance supervisor at the Oakdale Federal Correctional Complex, said some employees appear to be okay and others are fearful they may become sick or bring this disease home to family members.
The virus is dangerous, because it attacks the human population silently. You don’t see it coming, and many do not know they may be carriers of the virus for 10 to 14 days. Governor John Bel Edwards has encouraged the population to wash their hands continuously and to practice social distancing, which may be hard to do in a prison setting.
As of Monday afternoon, Morris said there were 23 inmates in isolation, meaning they are showing or producing symptoms; 68 in quarantine, meaning they are producing or showing no symptoms but have been in contact with other inmates with symptoms; and 16, who are hospitalized.
On Saturday, Patrick Jones, 47, who had been at the Oakdale site serving a 27-year prison sentence for a drug charge, became the first federal inmate to die from COVID-19, according to a release from the Bureau of Prisons (BOP).
Prisoners being quarantined are in a designated housing unit, but staff must keep visuals on these inmates.
And the staff must continue to work, because this is a prison. Morris said some staff members are supplying support by checking on others who are showing signs or mental fatigue, etc. On Monday, seven members of the staff at the Oakdale location had tested positive for the virus. Thirteen staff members were waiting results, and one member was in ICU with symptoms.
Morris said some staff has been provided with some PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)equipment and the institution is waiting for more to arrive. He said the administration was working on securing more PPE equipment from the national stockpile. They were hoping to have that equipment by next week.
“The staff’s anxiety is pretty high,” Morris said. As a union leader, he and other union members have been busy talking to their senators and representatives at the national level asking them for assistance.
“Some staff members are having to work 16, 24 and 32 hours straight just about everyday,” he said because a lot of the staff is out. “They’re tired.”
Morris said the president did pass legislation allowing them to take up to 80 hours of sick leave, but they will have to come back to the job. He said as law enforcement and correctional officers they are there to do their job. “We took an oath. The staff is doing their job to the best of their ability.”
The staff is also dealing with the U.S. Marshals transferring prisoners between prisons. This is the second week prisoners have been moved into the institution. This is done through the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Morris believes this should be stopped at this time because of the virus He said they went to their Congress representatives for help, who in turn went to the Attorney General’s office. He said those guys are working hard to help solve this problem at this time. He hopes the to see this stopped during this crisis
“Hopefully it ends as soon as possible.”
