Colorado Prisons and Jails Have Alarming Levels of COVID-19 Outbreaks, CHI Analysis Shows

More than 16,000 people have contracted COVID-19 as part of outbreaks at Colorado prisons, jails, and other detention facilities, according to an analysis of state and federal data by the Colorado Health Institute (CHI).

CHI studied outbreak data published by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Federal Bureau of Prisons and compared the numbers to the total inmate population of state and federal prisons. These populations are constantly changing, so it is not possible to say what percentage of the incarcerated population is infected at any given time. But as of late January, for every 1,000 people incarcerated in Colorado prisons, 557 prisoners had contracted COVID. CHI also analyzed the outbreak at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center and found similarly high levels of COVID-19 infections.

Incarcerated people are not on the state’s priority list for vaccines, despite federal guidance and the practice of most other states. Incarcerated people who are older adults or who have health conditions that put them at higher risk can receive vaccinations at the same time as others in those categories; otherwise, they can expect to receive their vaccines at the same time as the general public. At this time, the only incarcerated people eligible for vaccines are age 70 or older.

“The choices we are making about how to prioritize vaccinations speak to how we value health equity in ways beyond rhetoric. This is an opportunity for the state to operationalize equity. We hope this report shines a light on an important part of the story of the pandemic in Colorado,” said Michele Lueck, President and CEO of CHI.

“People in shared and congregate living situations, such as long-term care facilities, homeless shelters, and prisons and jails, are particularly susceptible to the way COVID spreads and should be prioritized for vaccinations. A serious, possibly deadly disease is not a part of a prison or jail sentence, and individuals who are incarcerated or detained are released back into society daily, putting communities at risk,” said Karen McNeil-Miller, President and CEO of The Colorado Health Foundation. “By protecting all of our correctional frontline workers, along with anyone in custody, we better protect Coloradans and their communities from this pandemic.”

Media contact
Joe Hanel, Communications Director
720.382.7093 | hanelj@coloradohealthinstitute.org