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Letter to Bureau of Prisons Director Michael Carvajal and Warden Dan Sproul - Duckworth, Durbin, Bustos Demand Testing at Fci Pekin Following Significant Covid-19 Outbreak

Letter

Date: Dec. 14, 2020
Location: Peoria, IL
Issues: Health and Health Care Federal, State and Local Relations Criminal Justice

Dear Director Carvajal and Warden Sproul:

We write once again to insist that the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) immediately provide on-site COVID-19 testing for all staff and inmates at Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Pekin.

As you know, our offices wrote BOP and FCI Pekin leadership on October 19, 2020 calling for immediate on-site COVID-19 testing for all staff and inmates at FCI Pekin. This request followed an outbreak of at least three staff and 74 inmates. On November 20, 2020 -- one month after our initial letter -- BOP finally responded and declined this request.

As of December 14, 2020, 16 staff and 313 inmates are currently positive for COVID-19 at the facility. It is unacceptable that staff and inmates are experiencing yet another significant outbreak at FCI Pekin. Clearly, heightened testing and mitigation strategies must be taken to protect staff, inmates and surrounding communities. Further--to get to the bottom of the ongoing COVID-19 issues at the facility--we request answers to the following questions:

1. How many staff have been tested for COVID-19 within the last two weeks? Within the last week?

2. How many inmates have been tested for COVID-19 in the last two weeks? Within the last week?

3. As of today, which units have cases of COVID 19?

4. Have all inmates in these units been tested in the last two weeks? In the last week?

5. Is FCI Pekin doing contact tracing to find close contacts of COVID-19 positive staff and inmates?

6. How many inmates have had close contact with a COVID-19 patient at FCI Pekin in the last two weeks? In the last week?

7. How many staff members have had close contact with a COVID-19 patient at FCI Pekin in the last two weeks? In the last week?

8. Have all close contacts with COVID-19 patients been notified of their exposure? Have all these close contacts received a COVID-19 test?

9. Is the prison on lockdown? What internal inmate movement has happened within the prison in the last two weeks?

10. Are staff who are working in units with outbreaks also working in other units of the prison?

11. Have inmates in units that have COVID-19 cases interacted with inmates in other units within the last two weeks?

12. Is BOP staff training happening in a socially distanced manner? What group trainings are ongoing at Pekin?

Thank you for your timely response. The answers to these questions will help our offices support FCI Pekin, your staff and local communities.


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