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| December 10, 2020 Shelton Mason County Journal |  |
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not an isolated problem among DOC
facilities. .
“The Department of Corrections is
experiencing delays in receiving re—
sults from laboratories as communi-
ties all across Washington are increas-
ing COVID testing, which explains
any sudden increases in received test
results,” Biller said.
A report issued in November criti-
cized the DOC’s response to the out-
break at Coyote Ridge Corrections
Center in Connell in which two people
died and more than 300 prisoners were
infected.
The report cited a delay in testing
and quarantinng after the first person
reported symptoms, and the failure of
inmates to report symptoms, possibly
due to concerns about conditions in
medical isolation.
Could similar factors have contrib-
uted to the WCC outbreak?
“No, because throughout the COV-
ID pandemic, the Department of .Cor-
rections 'has prioritized the advice of
health care professionals, and relied
on science to mitigate the spread of
COVID-19,” Biller said. “The Depart-
ment of Corrections is continually en-
hancing its efforts to fight COVID, and
has implemented continuous quality
improvement since the beginning of
the pandemic.” '
At the Stafford Creek Corrections
Center in Grays Harbor County, a re-
port and former employees of the facil-
ity cited inmates who described facil-
ity staff as “inconsistent” in wearing
masks.
Biller said the DOC has “continu-
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ally reinforced” the wearing of facial
coverings and stressed the need for so-
cial distanCing among staff since April.
“This reinforcement of appropriate
guidelines has been a primary reason
that the Department of Corrections
has kept COVID out of its facilities for
the length of time it has,” Biller said.
Starting Nov. 6, the DOC has also
mandated surgical masks for. all its
employees and contractors, and those
entering department locations.
Because the WCC in Shelton is an "
intake facility thatptransfers inmates
to prisons across the state, Biller ex-
plained that in the wake of the DOC’s
response to COVID-19 such statewide
transfers have been limited to medi-
cal evaluations, medical isolations and
quarantines, clinical care, extenuating
security concerns and efforts to pre-
vent crowding.
Biller was not able to supply any
numbers for how many inmates or em-
ployees had transferred in and out of
the WCC in Shelton since the outbreak
started, but she touted the value of
contact tracing in'helping to determine
appropriate inmates for testing.
“Contact tracing does occur, for
both the incarcerated population and
staff, as part of the Department of
Corrections’ protocols,” Biller said. “If
an incarcerated individual is identi-
fied through contact tracing, they are
placed into quarantine and tested as
outlined in the department’s COV-
ID-19 screening, testing and infection
control guidelines.” '
In addition/co contact tracing, incar-
cerated individuals are tested if they
self-identify symptoms, or if they are
identified by staff as being symptom-
Thursday, Dec. 1'0, 2020 Shelton-Mason County Journal — Page A—13
Prison: DOClimiting statewide transfers out of Shelton
atic, although Biller acknowledged
that some, incarcerated individuals,
and their family members, have ex-
pressed concerns about the conditions
in quarantine and isolation, which
have been said to include cold food,
a lack of showers and the, inabilityto
leave one’s cell.
Joanna Carns, directorlof the Of-
fice of the Corrections Ombuds, wrote
in reports related to the Coyote Ridge
outbreak that inmates delayed report-
ing their COVID symptoms to avoid
what they saw as the poor conditions
of solitary confinement.
Cams described this as a systemic
issue‘in her 2019 annual report and
deemed the Department of Corrections
as a whole to be “a soiled bureaucracy.”
Considering that fear could con—
tribute to under-reporting of COVID
among inmates in the Shelton prison,
the Journal asked Biller what the
WCC is doing to address those con-
cerns.
“Concerns are reviewed and ad-
dressed directly by the facility hous-
ing the incarcerated individual and, if
appropriate, during the weekly family
informational calls,” Biller said.
Biller confirmed reports that the
WCC’s gymnasium facilities are being
used to hoUse infected inmates.
“Additional units are being placed
on quarantine as necessary,” Biller
said. “Those individuals who test posi-
tive for COVID-19 and are asymptom-
atic are being moved to medical isola-
tion areas. And yes, the currently des-
ignated—area for COVID-positive medi-
cal isolation is the main gymnasium,
that’s been converted to an alternate
housing area.”
internet th
to you.
Because those in the main gymnasi-
um have been confirmed to be COVID-
positive, Biller said there is no concern
of them spreading it to each other.
Biller said inmates at the WCC in
Shelton have not been on a hunger
strike, as has been speculated.
“No, it is not true,” Biller said.
“Additionally, while in the midst of a
pandemic, we would stress that it’s
important for each individual to take
any and all steps possible to preserve
and maintain their personal health,
including regularly eating.”
Although members of the public
have questioned whether inmates and]
or staff at such facilities might be sent
to other facilities, or even have their
sentences interrupted or commuted,
Biller emphasized that the DOC’s op-
tions on that score are relatively lim-
ited.
“Again, during the agency’s re-
sponse to COVID-19, statewide
transfers have been limited to medi-
cal evaluations, medical isolations or
quarantines, clinical care, extenuat-
ing security concerns or the preven-
tion of overcrowding,” Biller said. “The
Department of Corrections does not
have the authority to make determina-
tions on changes-t0 sentencing. These
changes can only be done legislatively
or by executive order.”
Biller encouraged the public to visit
the DOC’s COVID-19 webpage at doc.
wa.gov/corrections/covid-19/ for fur-
ther information and updates.
The state Department of Correc-
tions updates its reported COVID case
numbers each business day. Its latest
numbers are at doc.wa.gov/corrections/
covid-lQ/data.htm. ‘ .
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