Mitigating COVID-19 in Jail Settings

Community of Practice

The COVID-19 Mitigation Strategies in Jail Settings Community of Practice was a monthly webinar series that aimed to contribute to the mitigation of COVID-19 in jail and similar incarceration settings. The Community of Practice (CoP) followed the development of the COVID-19 Mitigation Strategies in Jail Settings Toolkit.

Community of Practice sessions

image of an open jail cell

Planning for the future, paying attention to the past

The September COVID-19 Mitigation Strategies in Jail Settings Community of Practice webinar was the final webinar of a series that featured facilitated discussions with community partners from across the country. Presenters discussed COVID-19 mitigation strategy updates for those working in jail settings. Participants had the opportunity to engage in a Q&A discussion with criminal-legal, public health, community, and behavioral health experts. Watch the video

image of an open jail cell

Decarceration as a strategy to mitigate the spread of COVID-19

The CoP session from May 27, 2021 brought together experts to discuss the need to reduce populations to mitigate COVID-19 in jail settings and practical strategies that jails can use to implement decarceration as a strategy. Professor Beth Huebner, Director Douglas Burris and Miranda Gibson discuss their successful efforts to use a systematic case review process to reduce the jail population in the St. Louis County Department of Justice Services to assist mitigating the spread of COVID-19 among staff and detainees. Watch the video

COVID-19 communications, preparedness and mitigation: addressing the infodemic and pandemic

The CoP session on April 22, 2021 brought diverse champions to the table to provide an overview of effective public health communication and educational strategies across multiple populations: criminal-legal staff, those justice-involved, and the community. The event provided an opportunity to continue engaging in dialogue around the topics discussed and vaccines, including strategies to consider when offering the vaccine to those who are justice-involved. Watch the video

Addressing behavioral health and COVID-19 in jail settings and beyond

The CoP session on March 25, 2021 shared information on the diversion of justice-involved people where needed, social isolation, and risk factors of those with behavioral health needs during this pandemic. Watch the video

vaccine stock photo

Ask an expert: COVID-19 vaccines

The CoP session on February 25, 2021 was a Q&A discussion with public health, criminal-legal and advocacy experts working along the criminal justice spectrum to combat COVID-19. The event provided an opportunity to learn more about current COVID-19 mitigation strategies, including but not limited to COVID-19 vaccinations, collaboration with external organizations in this space, and more. Watch the video

stock photo of jail bars

 

Jail facility processes and policies for COVID-19 and beyond

The CoP session on January 28, 2021 provided an overview of jail facilities, especially for public health professionals to learn more about general and COVID-19 specific jail facility processes and policies. Key partners from across the country engage in facilitated discussions, highlighting COVID-19 mitigation strategies in jail settings with key personnel. Watch the video

stock photo covid in jail

 

Key strategies for COVID-19 mitigation in jail settings

The CoP session on December 11, 2020 was the first of a monthly series that featured facilitated discussions with partners from across the country. During the event, key COVID-19 mitigation strategies in jail settings with key personnel were discussed, including testing, contact tracing, data/information sharing, and discharge planning. Watch the video

 

decorative link to CDC Foundation article: Arresting the Spread: Fighting COVID in Jails

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