Pressley, Rollins call for release of low-risk inmates after 140 test positive for coronavirus at MCI-Norfolk

BOSTON (AP) — An outbreak of COVID-19 is growing in a Massachusetts prison.

GBH News reports at least 140 incarcerated people have tested positive for the coronavirus at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution in Norfolk, a medium-security facility, as of Monday.

No deaths have been reported from the most recent outbreak, but two prisoners have been transferred to a hospital, the station reported.

Elizabeth Matos, head of Prisoners' Legal Services, a Boston advocacy group, told GBH News that the prison’s inmate population is older and sicker than those at other state facilities and therefore more at risk of coronavirus-related complications.

Nearly 21% of MCI-Norfolk’s population is 60 years old or older, compared with about 12% systemwide, GBH News reported. It also houses a special, 20-bed unit for some of the state’s most ailing prisoners.

Eight inmates have died and more than 500 have tested positive for the coronavirus in the state prison system, the station reported, citing data from the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts.

COVID-19 spike at MCI Norfolk prompts some local lawmakers to call for release of some low-risk inmates

The outbreak comes as U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins sent a letter to Baker on Tuesday urging him to release from prison older individuals, individuals with preexisting medical conditions, juveniles, pregnant individuals, and those with less than a year remaining on their sentence.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has manifested unprecedented challenges to the health and wellbeing of communities throughout the Commonwealth, including our neighbors and loved ones behind the wall,” Pressley and Rollins wrote.

“As Governor, you have significant authority to limit the deadly spread of COVD-19 and reduce the prison population before it is too late,” they added.

Increasing COVID-19 cases at Middleton jail sparks concerns for second spike

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