DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Seven inmates and three staff members that interact with inmates at the Tomoka Correctional Institution in Daytona Beach have tested positive for COVID-19.
- Jails implementing measures to combat COVID-19
- Staff at Flagler Inmate Faciltiy now wear masks, gloves
- The facility is also cleaned more frequently
The Florida Department of Corrections said that because of this, cleaning is being heightened at the facility and aggressive testing is being implemented. They are also limiting inmate movement, among other measures.
Over at the Volusia County Jail, a county spokesperson says there are no positive cases of COVID-19. They instituted a 14-day lockdown, which ends Friday. All new inmates are also required to be quarantined for 14 days before being introduced into the general population.
At the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Facility in Flagler County, they are free from COVID-19 as well. While several staff members have been tested, Sheriff Rick Staly says they've all come back negative.
“We’ve been very fortunate that at our detention facility we have no COVID-19 inmates, and I think partly that is because the way we changed and what we are doing in our detention facility,” Staly said.
He says his staff now wears masks and gloves and gets their temperature checked daily. The facility is also cleaned every six hours, on top of what the inmates clean themselves.
“Every time I go in there there is somebody that is cleaning, wiping down tables, wiping down high touch areas of their housing units,” said Daniel Engert, Chief of Court and Detention Services Division at the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.
The Sheriff also believes a big part of keeping the facilities free from COVID-19 is keeping the inmates inside. He disagrees with places like Hillsborough County releasing "low-level" offenders because of the virus. There, inmate James Edward Williams on the day of his release was arrested the very next day — charged with murder.
“Why would I let an inmate take advantage of COVID-19 to get back in the community and commit more crime? Now they are out where they could clearly contract COVID-19 then my deputies will likely have to arrest them again,” Staly said.