TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Department of Corrections announced Saturday that some inmates at a clothing production facility will pivot to producing face masks.
The department said inmates with the Prison Rehabilitative Industries and Diversified Enterprises, Inc. (PRIDE) will use face mask templates provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Corrections officers and staff will be the first ones wearing these inmate-made masks. Then, the FDC said the masks will be given to prisons with "large at-risk inmate populations."
"It's critical we take all precautions necessary to minimize the potential risk to the inmate population and staff charged with their care and custody," FDC Secretary Mark Inch said in a release.
FDC staff have already been advised to wear personal face coverings while inside buildings and facilities to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The announcement comes as jails and prisons around the country become hot spots for coronavirus spread.
In many states, inmates have been moved to producing masks, hand sanitizer and other products for public use. But, since the novel coronavirus reached the U.S., inmates around the country have been calling for better health protection for themselves.
In mid-March, 163 inmates were released from the Hillsborough County Jail as a precautionary step to fight viral spread. Sheriff Chad Chronister said those released were "low-level" and non-violent. A week later, the Jacksonville State Attorney's Office called for significant reductions in the jail population in three counties.
On April 1, the federal Bureau of Prisons announced it was locking all 146,000 of its inmates in their cells for two weeks to slow the spread of coronavirus. The move came after a Louisiana compound reported two inmates had died and nearly 20 others were hospitalized because of COVID-19.
The Bureau of Prisons has 121 other correctional facilities around the country.
On April 8, more than 100 inmates at a Washington prison "engaged in a demonstration" in the recreation yard. Police believe the "demonstration" was the result of six positive COVID-19 cases among inmates.
Back in Florida, 34 coronavirus cases have been reported among inmates at Blackwater River Correctional Facility, according to the Miami Herald. The facility is near Pensacola in the Panhandle and is privately-operated.
And, the newspaper said six staff members had tested positive.
- Check you bank account: IRS deposits first economic aid payments
- Where's your money? How to check the status of your coronavirus stimulus check online
- Check your freezer: Some Healthy Choice chicken bowls could have small rocks in them
- These essential workers could get $25,000 in hazard pay under 'Hero Fund' plan
- FedEx worker sanitizes package before delivering to immunocompromised home
- Is it safe to touch your packages and mail during the pandemic?
- Hotlines, websites offer the latest on COVID-19
FREE 10NEWS APP:
►Stay In the Know! Sign up now for the Brightside Blend Newsletter