Covid-19 Deaths in São Paulo’s Prisons Increase 69 Percent in 12 Days

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The number of deaths in São Paulo’s penitentiary system has risen from 13 to 22 due to Covid-19 in less than two weeks, an increase of 69 percent. According to data from the Secretariat of Penitentiary Administration, the number of staff killed as a result of the disease caused by Sars-CoV-2 rose from six to ten, and from seven to 12 among prisoners.

The data refer to the period between May 9th and 20th. This means that the system recorded, on average, three deaths of prisoners or staff every four days. By May 8th, 13 deaths had been recorded. The first death in the system occurred on April 19th. The São Paulo prison system counts approximately 223,000 inmates and 35,000 workers.

Measures to prevent and fight the novel coronavirus were introduced by the São Paulo government on March 15th, whether voluntary or by court order, ranging from banning access to prisoners’ visits and suspension of in-person delivery of products and the exit of prisoners for work or visits to family members.

The number of prison facilities with staff removed on suspicion of contamination (46) is more than double the number of facilities with isolated prisoners (20). Given that in 15 of them both cases are present, in total there are 51 facilities with some change of routine.

The number of facilities affected represents 29 percent of the 176 penitentiaries and detention centers throughout the state. However, this figure is lower than the 35 percent recorded on May 8th. This also occurs because there is a total of 171 officers were removed on Tuesday, compared to 232 at the start of the month. This data changes daily.

The number of isolated prisoners has increased in ten cases, from 79 to 89. They are in 20 facilities (previously it was 27).

The president of SIFUSPESP (São Paulo State Prison System Workers Union), Fábio Cesar Ferreira, said that with the new deaths, the workers’ concern increased, particularly in the interior of the state, where there were reports of workers resisting wearing safety equipment.

Also according to him, the fight now is to achieve rapid tests for staff. “We have a court action to that effect, with a scheduled hearing. The government has released them to the Civil Police, to the State Police, but not to us,” he said.

According to the Secretariat of the Penitentiary Administration, the monitoring of the prison population’s and staff’s health condition is planned. “The testing of staff and the prison population is already being planned by the technical team.”

Source: Folhapress