The department says it can only release medical details to emergency contacts, but critics contend it’s not doing enough to notify inmates of the need to update those authorizations.
The department says it can only release medical details to emergency contacts, but critics contend it’s not doing enough to notify inmates of the need to update those authorizations.
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Representatives of the Blair County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Prison Society found ways to maintain contact with inmates in the county prison during the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to a contribution by an anonymous donor and the cooperation of prison officials.
Volunteer Ed Grab, a local physician, pointed out this week that the prison society’s representatives have not been permitted to visit the inmates for several months, and he doesn’t think that will change anytime soon in view of the ongoing spread of the coronavirus.
“This is truly a captive population,” Grab said.
But he said despite the pandemic, “We are going to continue efforts to visit the prisoners.”
Across Pennsylvania and the U.S., the coronavirus is spreading rapidly through prisons and jails, where communal living is standard and social distancing is nearly impossible.
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