Four inmates have died of COVID-19 at Terminal Island prison, a low security federal correctional institution in San Pedro, California.
Another 600, nearly 60-percent of the prison population, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
“The government has a responsibility to protect people in its care, including inmates,” Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragan, whose district includes Terminal Island, told ABC Los Angeles station KABC in a statement. “The leadership at Terminal Island has clearly failed to do that.”
“There are alternatives that can keep non-violent inmates safe, like home confinement. We need prison leadership to consider those alternatives, especially to the vulnerable, and stop the spread of this disease at Terminal Island,” Barragan’s statement said.
Inside the Federal Bureau of Prisons facilities, there are 1,692 federal inmates and 349 staff members who have tested positive for COVID-19 nationwide. There have been at least 33 inmate coronavirus deaths in BOP facilities, according to the organization.
