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SCI Albion Reports First Death of Inmate with COVID-19

01/17/2021

Harrisburg, PA – Department of Corrections (DOC) and SCI Albion officials report the first death of an inmate on January 16 with COVID-19.

The 67-year-old inmate, whose name will not be provided, was serving a 20- to 40-year sentence for third-degree murder. He had underlying medical conditions and was sent to the hospital on Jan. 13, 2021. He tested positive for COVID-19 while at the hospital. He had been at SCI Albion since May 2017.

"We continue our battle against this dangerous invisible enemy," Corrections Secretary John Wetzel said. "We are experiencing a resurgence. That is why it is vital to continue our aggressive mitigation efforts. We cannot let our guard down."

The rate of state prison inmate deaths with COVID is lower than Pennsylvania long term care facilities. A Council on Criminal Justice December 2020 report shows PA DOC as being one of six states that has fewer deaths than expected given statewide rates:  https://cdn.ymaws.com/counciloncj.org/resource/resmgr/covid_commission/COVID-19_in_State_and_Federa.pdf.

SCI Albion reports 186 current active inmate cases and 32 current active staff cases. The prison has reported 196 total positive cases, of which 148 have been asymptomatic.  Inmates who have tested positive are in isolation at the prison or local hospitals, depending on the level of medical care required. Employees who have tested positive must isolate at their homes and cannot return to work until they provide a doctor's note clearing them to return.

"We are experiencing the same thing that our counties are experiencing, and we are following very strict procedures to mitigate the virus' impact on our state prisons," Wetzel said. "I've directed our staff to act aggressively and quickly when inmates report influenza-like illnesses, and that includes isolating and quarantining inmates, locking down units or entire prisons as needed, conducting regular cleanings and even 72-hour deep cleanings in order to protect staff and inmates."

MEDIA CONTACT: Maria A. Bivens, mabivens@pa.gov

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