Visitation at state prisons suspended through February, including two in Centre County
Visitation at all state prisons is scheduled to be suspended from Thursday until at least Feb. 28, the state Department of Corrections said Monday.
The prison system’s workforce has been depleted by the coronavirus. About 800 workers across the system’s 23 state prisons were infected as of Monday.
Quarantine requirements have increasingly required voluntary or mandatory overtime that is “not sustainable,” acting Corrections Secretary George Little said in a written statement.
“Staffing levels have been significantly impacted throughout the winter months by the same uptick in COVID-19 cases that our communities are experiencing,” Little said.
About half of the prison system’s nearly 16,000 workers are vaccinated. Nearly 8,200 cases among staff have been reported.
There have been more than 14,500 positive cases and 155 deaths among inmates. About 90% of the prison system’s more than 36,000 inmates are vaccinated.
Free video visits will be expanded and cable TV in inmates’ cell will be free in February. Recreation, education and access to programming won’t be affected by the visitation policy, but could be modified at individual state prisons.
When the monthlong suspension is lifted, visitors who are 12 and older will be required to show they have been vaccinated before entering a facility.