The ongoing threat of COVID outbreaks in prisons.

Prison officials treat COVID-19 like contraband, searching for it and punishing those found with it, leading prisoners to hide their symptoms and exacerbating the spread of the virus. COVID-19 is not treated as a medical condition in prisons, but rather as a disciplinary issue. Medical isolation, where COVID-positive prisoners are placed, is no different from punitive solitary confinement. Prisoners have pleaded for more humane conditions during medical isolation, but their requests have been ignored. It is time for prisons to adopt more compassionate COVID-19 responses.