I know it's a joke but it does raise some pretty serious issues concerning the state's responsibility for the health and welfare of its prisoners.
This article is primarily about the particular problems faced by vulnerable inmates at Rikers Island, but the general criticisms about the impossibility of following recommendations about self-isolation and social distancing in a prison environment would apply to all inmates, everywhere.
Rachael Bedard discusses her job, the pressures she faces now, and how she and her colleagues are trying to stop the spread of the virus since it arrived in the jail.
www.newyorker.com
There's also the general question of the state's responsibilities to both inmates and prison staff for the consequences of so many prison officers being absent from work, either because of illness or because they're self-quaranteening, and what all this means for the safe operation of the prison system.
ETA: And what on earth do you do with inmates who are due to be released while they should be self-quarantining?
ETA 2:
Karlena Dawson is at high risk of complications from COVID-19. Where she lives makes her even more vulnerable: a Seattle immigrant-detention center.
www.theatlantic.com
www.bbc.com
www.theguardian.com
