Elizabeth Barnert is with the Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Los Angeles. Ada Kwan and Brie Williams are with the Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco.
Am J Public Health. 2021 Jun;111(6):1099-1105. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2021.306221. Epub 2021 Apr 15.
COVID-19 is ravaging US prisons. Prison residents and staff must be prioritized for vaccination, but a rapidly mutating virus and high rates of continued spread require an urgent, coordinated public health response.Based on knowledge accumulated from the pandemic thus far, we have identified 10 pressing public health priorities for responding to COVID-19 in prisons: (1) accelerate population reduction coupled with community reentry support, (2) improve prison ventilation systems, (3) ensure appropriate mask use, (4) limit transfers between facilities, (5) strengthen partnerships between public health departments and prison leadership, (6) introduce or maintain effective occupational health programs, (7) ensure access to advance care planning processes for incarcerated patients and delineation of patient health care rights, (8) strengthen partnerships between prison leadership and incarcerated people, (9) provide emergency mental health support for prison residents and staff, and (10) commit to public accountability and transparency.Dedicated prison leaders cannot accomplish these public health priorities alone. We must mobilize prison leaders, staff, and residents; public health departments; community advocates; and policymakers to work together to address the pandemic's outsized impact in US prisons.
新冠疫情正在肆虐美国监狱。必须优先为囚犯和监狱工作人员接种疫苗，但考虑到病毒快速变异和持续高传播率，需要采取紧急协调的公共卫生措施。根据目前疫情积累的经验，我们确定了应对监狱新冠疫情的 10 项紧迫公共卫生重点：（1）加快人口减少和社区重返社会的支持，（2）改善监狱通风系统，（3）确保适当使用口罩，（4）限制设施之间的转移，（5）加强公共卫生部门与监狱领导层之间的伙伴关系，（6）引入或维持有效的职业健康计划，（7）确保被监禁患者获得预先护理计划流程并明确患者的医疗保健权利，（8）加强监狱领导层与囚犯之间的伙伴关系，（9）为囚犯和监狱工作人员提供紧急心理健康支持，（10）致力于公共问责制和透明度。专门的监狱领导人无法独自完成这些公共卫生重点工作。我们必须动员监狱领导人、工作人员和囚犯；公共卫生部门；社区倡导者；以及政策制定者共同努力，解决美国监狱中疫情的巨大影响。
