Coronavirus: State Prisons Back on Lockdown

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April 6, 2020

By News Director Jared Atha

As part of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections has ordered all Oklahoma prisons, including North Fork Correctional Center in Sayre, to secure inmates in their cells while allowing access to necessary services.

According to prison officials, this modification to the agency’s action plan is based on protecting the health of inmates and staff, not for disciplinary reasons.

The action began Sunday evening and ODOC officials will evaluate this modified plan daily to consider affording as many normal privileges as possible while maintaining safety and security. Facility staff will deliver food, medicine, and any other necessities to inmates to limit group gatherings and enhance social distancing. Staff will devise schedules for activities including making phone calls and showering.

This step is one of many taken by the department to protect staff and inmates – the agency’s highest priority.

In other news, ODOC staff picked up more than 28,000 face masks donated by the Oklahoma State Department of Health on Saturday. According to officials the masks were distributed to each state and private facility across the state. Protective eye wear was included in Saturday’s shipment for employees working in sensitive facility areas such as screening locations.