North Carolina judge orders investigation into prisoners’ exposure to COVID-19 News
© WikiMedia (Michael Coghlan)
North Carolina judge orders investigation into prisoners’ exposure to COVID-19

North Carolina Superior Court Judge Vinston Rozier on Friday ordered a thorough investigation into COVID-19 protections in the state’s prisons.

Rozier’s ruling came in response to a lawsuit brought against the state protesting conditions in prisons during the COVID-19 pandemic and encouraging closer attention to human rights.

“African Americans [comprise] 51 percent of the prison population and will disproportionately bear
the devastation caused by a COVID-19 outbreak in DPS facilities,” says the lawsuit. “The environment makes it impossible to practice social distancing.”

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of North Carolina also issued a statement explaining they were seeking emergency action to protect inmates in state prisons. “North Carolina courts did not sentence thousands of people to suffer and potentially die from a pandemic,” said North Carolina ACLU Legal Director Kristi Graunke. “It is within Governor and Secretary Hooks’ power to save lives, and they must do so immediately.”

Rozier’s ruling forces state prisons to furnish information about personal protective equipment given to prisoners and requires facilities to implement social distancing procedures and advanced sanitation practices. North Carolina prisons have already limited transfers, suspended visitation and put the work-release program on hiatus, but they will be required to adhere to additional measures in the near future.

Other states have also taken measures to protect prisoners’ safety during the pandemic. To limit overcrowding in prisons, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan issued an executive order to release hundreds of inmates, and a federal judge ordered California to impose additional protections for its inmates.

On Saturday, North Carolina Chief Justice Cheri Beasley issued an order extending the state’s emergency directives through May 31, postponing most court rulings and directing judicial officials to conduct rulings via telephone. More than 11,000 North Carolinians have contracted COVID-19, and at least 420 have died.

For more on COVID-19, see our special coverage.