The agency that conducts inspections of Florida jails suspended on-site inspections in July, citing the COVID-19 pandemic. Jails statewide were asked instead to send a memo to the committee affirming their own continued compliance with the standards.
Florida prison staff, inmates wait on word for vaccine eligibility
19 states have prioritized inmates, staff
For at least 210 Florida inmates, a prison sentence turned into a death sentence due to COVID-19.
and last updated 2021-03-15 18:19:29-04
WFTS
For at least 210 Florida inmates, a prison sentence turned into a death sentence due to COVID-19.
The second-highest death toll in the country for prison inmates continues to tick up. The death rate is 1.5 times the rate in Florida overall.
Currently, Florida inmates are not eligible for a vaccine.
âI know what itâs like to try to get medical care under normal conditions, so to further exasperate that under COVID conditions, itâs a nightmare,â said Susan Melendy, whose son is in prison.
Families bristle at new prices to call Florida prisoners orlandosentinel.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from orlandosentinel.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
When Might Any Florida Inmate Receive A COVID-19 Vaccine?
By Lyric Lighty
February 16, 2021
Thomas Chambers doesn’t want to die in prison.
He’s right now serving the last 19 months of a 2018 prison sentence for robbery, and until a year ago, the 55-year-old inmate didn’t consider his life might end in the Marion Correctional Institute in Ocala. But paired with his Type 2 diabetes, the increased vulnerability to the worst outcomes from COVID-19 has him worried.
Even as the number of available vaccines increases, Florida inmates are unsure if and when they will have the opportunity to be vaccinated. Chambers said all at-risk individuals should be prioritized for the vaccine whether they’re in prison or the free world. That’s a pipe dream for now, according to information from prison officials and activists.