Thread by @weareoversight

Last week, as millions more Americans received a coronavirus vaccine, 816 people in prison contracted Covid-19.

We received more documents from the Federal Bureau of Prisons that provide further details about the BOP’s early pandemic response.
americanoversight.org/bureau-of-pris…

The documents show that BOP officials relied on inadequate mitigation measures, including conducting limited testing and relying on guidance that allowed groups to gather in person, even while demonstrating an understanding of asymptomatic transmission.

In March 2020, BOP Medical Director Jeffery Allen wrote: “It appears that the symptoms are not as simple as originally described, as you point out...it appears that many people are contagious for at least several days before they become symptomatic.”
documentcloud.org/documents/2053…

As seen in the records, the BOP adopted policies that focused on screening staff for Covid-19 symptoms. On March 30, Allen sent an email about a staff member who might have been exposed to the coronavirus:
documentcloud.org/documents/2053…

"Early on in the Covid response, we were telling staff to self-quarantine after a potential exposure to Covid. However based on some language in CDC guidance and the fact that we are screening all staff now, we do not quarantine them but screen each day when they come to work.”

Scientists across the country called for mass Covid-19 testing in March. On April 2, Allen distributed talking points that gave more insight into this staff screening, which did not include routine Covid-19 testing.
documentcloud.org/documents/2053…

Allen said the talking points could be used to “address why the BOP is not routinely testing staff for Covid as part of its staff screening program,” providing reasons like “Medical science doesn’t support it,” and “Most BOP institutions can’t do it.”

The documents also show that BOP faced staffing and supply shortages in the pandemic’s early months.

On March 10, Allen wrote, “I expect we’ll be getting questions about testing for Covid-19 as well, so we’ll need to have a response when it comes up.” An individual whose name was redacted noted that supplies for both flu and coronavirus testing were low.

For more information about oversight of the pandemic’s spread among incarcerated people, visit our Oversight Tracker or read more about our investigations.
americanoversight.org/investigation/…