Mississippi Dreams Prisoner Advocacy and the national group Families Against Mandatory Minimums addressed this week’s state leaders. They asked for reprieves for prisoners most at risk of developing illness. MDOC should also be allowed to release the elderly and sick through conditional medical releases and geriatric parole. Many of the precautions that people were encouraged to take can’t be used inside prisons. The letter writers noted that there is no way to practice “social distancing”, the hygiene is poor, and the medical care is insufficient. The virus will spread inside prisons and then sick and elderly people will become a problem. The virus will also affect corrections officers. Medical experts warn that COVID-19 could spread to other state prisons and jails. “Families of corrections professionals or people incarcerated are understandably concerned about COVID-19 spreading,” the letter states. “While we encourage you to work to reduce the danger to these people, we strongly urge you to make more transparency about the effect of the disease and your efforts in combating it.” The advocates want a daily dashboard that tracks information by facility for prisoners, staff, and volunteers. This would include the total number of cases, hospitalizations and lockdowns, as well as deaths and recoveries. On Wednesday, Governor. Tate Reeves stated that he wasn’t aware of any confirmed cases among state correctional staff or inmates of COVID-19. Reeves stated that he was not informed that any COVID-19-positive inmate in prison had been confirmed. At least one person held in state custody has been confirmed to have the disease. Warren County’s first case of COVID-19 was reported by an MDOC inmate at Promise Hospital. The Vicksburg Daily News reported last Wednesday that the case didn’t count as it was not within the inmate population. Grace Fisher, MDOC Communications Director, said: Fisher replied to a reporter’s question Wednesday by email, “The MDOC has no confirmed cases of COVID-19 within the inmate population.” “The case you’re asking about is not one of the inmate cases. Fisher didn’t answer questions about the number of inmates who had been tested for COVID-19. Fisher said that the agency was still collecting information about employee well-being. A list of frequently asked questions and answers has been released by the agency. It includes protocols for testing and treatment and other related issues. Fisher stated that the MDOC is committed in providing accurate information to the public and has been making available the information as soon after it is confirmed. Molly Gill, FAMM vice president of policy, stated that more information could help reduce rumors among prisoners and their families. Ashley Lukens, Mississippi Dreams Prisoner Advocacy, said that rumors are one of the biggest issues they deal with every day. “Preventable panic and fear can be caused by being cut off from your family along with rumors of cases.” The Department of Justice is currently investigating four state prisons. The state has been the subject of multiple lawsuits over conditions in prisons, including poor medical care, unsanitary living spaces, and physical violence. Prisoners and advocates have spoken out repeatedly about these issues. The state Legislature has suspended its session due to the coronavirus epidemic, which caused reforms to address the prison crisis in the state. Some of the proposed laws, such as expanding parole eligibility, would help decrease prison population. Gill stated that it was in the Department of Corrections’ best interest to be transparent. It’s in their best interest to not have to answer as many questions as possible from the public, lawmakers, reporters, angry relatives, and corrections union members. It is in their best interest to share the data with the state governments so that they have the resources they require to inform them about what’s happening in the states and how it’s getting._x000D