Lack of safety measures shows that the Pike jail is not following its Covid plan

To the Editor:

Please be advised that several inmates in 10 units at Pike County Correctional Facility Echo Unit are infected with the Covid-19 virus, and Warden Craig Lowe is unable to contain the coronavirus.

As of today Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, my daughter Tonia Scott tested positive for the coronavirus and is placed in isolation (quarantine). This is the third time Tonia has contracted the coronavirus at the PCCF-County Jail and she was exposed daily (10 months) to Covid-19 virus patients/staffers at the Norristown State Hospital located in Pennsylvania when she was court-ordered to undergo a Psychiatric Evaluation, in which she was declared competent to stand trial.

Also, my daughter Keeba Scott-Harris has contracted Covid-19 twice at the Pike County Correctional Facility in the past year and was exposed to the coronavirus for nine months at the Norristown State Hospital as well when she was court-ordered to complete a mental health evaluation.

Warden Lowe has not fumigated or sanitized the prison’s Echo Unit since the outbreak of the Covid two weeks ago despite the fact there are no windows for ventilation. The warden has assigned infected inmate-patients to work in the Kitchen, perform maintenance and laundry duties, etc., despite the inmates being seriously ill and continuously vomiting. If an inmate vomits, the individual or a fellow inmate must clean up the vomit. The jail cell has a foul order of vomits, and it is nauseating for non-infectedInmates/staffers.

Warden owe is placing infected Covid-19 infected inmates in the jail cell with those who have not contracted the coronavirus. No safety measures are being taken to ensure the safety and well-being of the prison inmates/staff at all.

It was reported that no Pike County Correctional Facility staffers were willing to enter the Pike County Correctional Facility prison units (due to the Covid-19 outbreak and the fear of contracting coronavirus) and that PCCF Officer South stated that the jail was drastically understaffed. Also, Warden Lowe has encouraged the Pike County Correctional Facility ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) inmates to work in the Echo Unit for kitchen, sanitation, laundry duty, etc., but they declined.

Just to reiterate, good personal hygiene is one of the best ways to protect one from getting gastro or infectious diseases such as Covid-19, colds, and flu. Washing your hands with soap removes germs that can make you ill. Maintaining good personal hygiene will also help prevent one from spreading diseases to other people. Warden Lowe must ensure the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) at all times, as well as ensure adequate environmental services such as water, sanitation and hygiene, disinfection and adequate ventilation at jail.

The lack of prison supplies, face mask, hand towel napkins, antibacterial soap, gloves, disinfecting cleaning products, etc. (required per the Bureau of Prison Module 8 Inmate Programming and Services Covid-19 Pandemic Response Plan October 19, 2020), places the Pike County Correctional Facility inmates and staff at risk of contracting the coronavirus.

Rosemary Scott