‘Prisoners are three times more likley to die from the virus than the general population.’ Photo: by Charles Chen on Unsplash
Prisons within prisons: Juliet Lyons makes the case for whole-institution vaccination
‘People are sent to prison to lose their liberty not their lives.’
As we begin to recover from Covid-19, it’s important to give thought to those of us who must remain locked down. Throughout the pandemic, people have spoken of loss of liberty, loss of loved ones, loss of choice, and loss of movement. ‘It’s like being in prison’ some say. For people in custody, Covid has meant being held in a prison within a prison. While severe restrictions and extreme isolation undoubtedly saved lives, the toll on mental and physical health is high. As one prisoner told the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody (IAPDC): ‘I’m sure there [are] a lot of prisoners suffering from severe anxiety, isolating in their cells not knowing when they’re going to be unlocked.’ There is no moral justification for holding people in deep custody when a humane and effective alternative exists. There are good and pressing reasons to vaccinate people held in closed institutions, all at once and immediately.
