22 people who are detained at the Prince William County Adult Detention Center (PWC ADC), and multiple staff of the facility have tested positive for COVID-19. While the County has taken some steps to release a limited number of people, this outbreak confirms that hundreds more continue to be put at risk by incarceration and neglectful conditions.

While families and friends who are supporting their detained loved ones are struggling amidst the economic impact of COVID-19, Prince William County has continued to charge people daily fees for their detention, maintained costly phone and commissary systems, and continued to charge fees to access medical care. In a recent article, a county official stated that people detained at the ADC “did not report them [symptoms] to the jail’s medical staff because they “thought they had a cold” despite wide knowledge of a dangerous pandemic. This attempt to place responsibility on people in Prince William County’s custody is reprehensible as people are forced to make decisions to pay daily “rent” fees, eat, access medical attention, or become further indebted.

Loved ones of people detained at the PWC ADC, community organizations, and supporters demand that Prince William County continue to release people from custody and immediately:

• cancel daily “rent” fees of $1 per day for detention

• provide access to free phone calls

• end medical fees of $25 per visit, so that everyone who needs medical attention can receive the treatment they need