A Case Study of the Westchester County New York’s Jail Response to COVID-19: Controlling COVID while Balancing Service Needs for the Incarcerated-A National Model for Jails

ABSTRACT

Controlling COVID rates, which initially soared within New York State, proved to be more challenging for correctional institutions, which were tasked with trying to protect a captive population. This article profiles the Westchester County Department of Correction (WCDOC), a county jail located 20 miles north of Manhattan; it is the second-largest jail in New York State. By employing a multitude of modalities, the WCDOC was able to lower their COVID-19 rates significantly, while simultaneously providing medical, mental health, drug treatment, and court-related services. By leveraging the use of technology and employing innovative policies for prisoners and staff, the WCDOC can serve as a model for other correctional institutions.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID
• county jails
• pandemic
• correctional
• Covid-19
• pandemic
• alternatives to incarceration
• early release mechanisms
• prison reform

Acknowledgments

A special thanks to all of the essential workers at the WCDOC for their hard work and dedication during these extremely challenging times.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).