Schools and universities are closed, states have gone into mandated quarantine, and yet prisons and migrant detention centers where children and many of our nation’s elderly and ill reside are still “open for business.”

COVID-19 poses a major threat to jails, prisons, and detention centers across the country. In an environment where sick staff have been working and hand sanitizer is considered contraband, incarcerated people are at high risk of being infected.

If the coronavirus spreads inside a facility it could be catastrophic –– especially for the elderly and those already ill. “Social distancing” is impossible, living conditions under pre-COVID-19 circumstances are lethal, and health care accessibility is wholly inadequate. Immigrants at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark, New Jersey, are already taking action and have begun a hunger strike in protest of their ongoing detention and are undergoing horrid conditions and treatment.

Congress must take the necessary steps to ensure that the incarcerated population in detention centers and prisons are not fatally impacted by the coronavirus.

Legislation must be passed to guarantee adequate healthcare and testing for those already ill and those who display symptoms. In addition to providing adequate healthcare, Congress needs to urge the release of children and families, the elderly, the ill, and people with non-violent offenses.

During the pandemic we must not forget about all the people who are detained and incarcerated in correctional facilities or detention centers. U.S. Attorney General William Barr has already directed the Bureau of Prisons to send inmates home in response to coronavirus outbreak. Congress must act swiftly before COVID-19 fatally impacts the vulnerable incarcerated population.

Please add your name today to demand Congress acts immediately to guarantee incarcerated people are protected during the COVID-19 pandemic.