Officers and inmates at the D.C. Central Detention Facility have said they fear for their safety and have filed a lawsuit accusing city leaders of not taking the necessary steps to keep the novel coronavirus from spreading inside the facility. The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Public Defender Service against the D.C. Department of Corrections. Attorney Michael Hannon is representing the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) in the case and said the leadership within the jail remains in isolation away from inmates due to the high risk of the spread of the virus. Cpl. Benjamin Olubasusi, vice chairman of the FOP, said the CDC guidelines aren’t being followed inside the jail and proper safety gear is lacking. “Our main concern is for them to be safe,” Olubasusi said. DOC official Jannease Johnson has served for nearly 29 years and said the number of infected inmates isn’t being reported accurately, and there is no real quarantine for inmates who test positive. “The 65 inmates who had contact with the U.S. Marshal who tested positive initially were quarantined, but then two days later, were released back to general population,” she said. Johnson said when D.C. Council member Trayon White visited the jail on Tuesday, he did so in full personal protective equipment, but staff who interact with inmates, including those who have tested positive, are not given PPE.
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So far, the DOC has reported at least five positive cases of coronavirus. Among the inmates infected are a 37-year-old and a 38-year-old.
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