SCI Fayette employee tests positive for COVID-19
An employee at SCI-Fayette has tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.
In total, there are 11 positive cases of the coronavirus in the state prison system, including the case at the Luzerne Township prison. Other positive cases include two employees each at SCI-Camp Hill, Chester and Phoenix and one employee each at SCI-Retreat, Smithfield and Waymart and at the central office. Four inmates have tested positive at SCI-Phoenix.
Employees who test positive are directed to remain at home until they are cleared by a medical professional to return.
Statewide inmate quarantining began March 29, and visitations were banned March 13. Inmates are being fed in their cells. Inmates were granted time out of their cells for video visitation, phone calls and visits to the law library.
The state prison system is also taking steps to review its inmate population, including furloughing paroled inmates to home plans, maximizing the number of parolees, reviewing sentences for inmates beyond their minimum sentence and expediting the release process.
The state prison system also announced it was making cloth masks for its staff and inmates.
“As part of the Department of Corrections preparedness planning, in mid-March, I directed all of our employees and inmates to wear masks,” said Sec. John Wetzel. “We didn’t want to take from the community supply, so we began making the masks in-house at several of our state prisons.”
A total of 185,136 masks have been produced. Each inmate received two masks and each employee received three. The prison system has also produced 36,000 bars of soap, 250 gowns and 1,620 packs of disinfectant.
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