Coronavirus Courses Through U.S. Prisons

As the COVID-19 virus continues to spread across the U.S. and in overlooked communities, new data shows over 121,000 prisoners across the country have contracted the virus in cramped, unsanitary conditions.

According to data compiled by nonprofit journalism organization The Marshall Project, at least 121,217 cases of COVID-19 have been reported among prisoners in both federal and state prison systems. While over half of reported cases have recovered, 1,017 prisoners have officially died from the virus.

Prison staff are also exposed to the coronavirus, with over 26,000 staff members across the country contracting COVID-19 as of Sept. 8. So far, there have been 75 reported deaths of staff members from the virus.

Prisons across the country are testing prisoners and staff in very different ways, making it hard for organizations to accurately track how quickly the virus is spreading. While some states are reporting hundreds or thousands of cases within their prison systems, other states have reported few cases and waited until as late as June to offer testing to all inmates.

The raw data collected by The Marshall Project can be found here.