Exploring the Impact of Coronavirus Pandemic on World Prisons: An Overview of Global Responses and Future Implications

Abstract

While governments and international organizations continue their fight against the 2019 Corona virus disease, it is important to not overlook those in prisons and detention centres around the world, currently deprived of their liberty and rights, as they are likely to be more vulnerable to this outbreak than the general population. Given the nature of confinement, prisoners live in close proximity with each other for prolonged periods of time which often acts as a source for amplifying and spreading infectious diseases. With this in mind, the aim of this article is to present an overview of the impact of Corona virus pandemic on world prisons and the subsequent global responses to combat this unprecedented crisis. The article concludes with implications for mental health of prisoners and deliberates on decarceration as a way forward.

COVID-19 fears and preventive behaviors among prison staff

“…To protect people living and working in places of detention, the World Health Organization (2020a) and the Centers for Disease Control Prevention (2020) provided guidelines to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Recommended policies included reducing the prison population (e.g., pardoning, suspending, or delaying prison sentences, early release on parole), restrictive measures (e.g., suspending visits, leaves, and group activities), sanitary measures (e.g., regular disinfection, protective equipment), physical distancing (e.g., self-isolation, quarantine), testing, and, more recently, vaccination (Braithwaite et al, 2021;Cîrlig et al, 2020;Murdoch, 2020;Pandey, 2021). At the same time, the fundamental rights of detained persons during the pandemic had to be respected.…”