The New York Times has a story about COVID-19 infections and deaths among the U.S. prison population. They say the infections and deaths are higher than the general population. Here are the numbers from their story.
The virus has killed prisoners at higher rates than the general population, the data shows, and at least 2,700 have died in custody, where access to quality health care is poor.
New York Times
These deaths, and many of the more than 525,000 infections so far among the incarcerated, could have been prevented, public health and criminal justice experts say.
New York Times
Since the 1980s, the nation’s prison population has increased by more than 500 percent, and about 1.4 million people
New York Times
2,700 deaths out of 525,000 infections in a prison population of about 1,400,000. That means the death from infections is only .514%. Just slightly more than half of one percent. That’s a 99.486% survival rate of those infected. But out of the entire prison population which by definition is a captive population you only have a .121% chance of getting infected and dying from COVID-19. Out of the entire prison population you have a 99.879% of living through this “deadly” pandemic.
What about the corrections officers working in the prisons? They’re at risk too.
In addition to inmates, more than 138,000 prison and jail correctional officers were sickened, and 261 died, according to the Times data.
New York Times
The New York Times reports 261 deaths out of 138,000 corrections officer infections. Deaths from infections in this group is even less of a risk than inmates. The risk of death is only .189%. A survival rate of 99.811%.
If it’s 3 times worse in prison than the general population and the infection survival rate is a whopping 99.486% what the fuck are we afraid of?