‘Too little too late’: Unpacking Biden’s moves to improve federal prisons’ response to Covid-19
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is trying to finally unsnarl the federal Bureau of Prisons’ response to the coronavirus pandemic, but experts say its latest moves also underscore just how much is still broken about the government’s response to Covid-19 in prisons.
As part of an executive order on reforming the criminal justice system last week, President Biden tasked the attorney general with updating the prison system’s protocols for testing, identifying alternatives to facility-wide lockdowns used to contain the spread of the virus, and expanding the data that is shared by the Bureau of Prisons regarding vaccination, testing, and deaths behind bars. The order also directs the attorney general to compile a tally of all incarcerated people who would be eligible for early release.
