The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has partnered with county jails, city jails and juvenile detention centers across the state to complete projects totaling $11.1 million to detect, prevent and mitigate COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. Texas county sheriff’s departments received funding for jails.
The funding, provided by the American Rescue Plan Act, addresses a pandemic-era issue in which traditional prison and jail settings put staff, detainees and visitors at increased risk of COVID-19 infection. According to the press release, this one-time federal funding will create greater resiliency at the local level to prevent the respiratory virus from spreading and creating unnecessary burdens.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, people in isolation facilities have been identified as a vulnerable population with several key factors contributing to the spread of infectious diseases.
•Insufficient ventilation.
• Shortages of mitigation and prevention resources, such as testing equipment, cleaning and sanitation supplies, and personal protective equipment.
•Inability to effectively and safely isolate infected people.
In response, officials began working with the Missouri Department of Corrections, various law enforcement agencies and municipal groups to better assess their needs and ultimately access funding through a competitive application process. Funding opportunities were advertised to more than 150 county jails and city detention centers through the Missouri Sheriffs’ Association, the Missouri Association of Counties and the Missouri Association of Councils of Governments.
The funds are being used for minor renovations to upgrade ventilation systems, purchase supplies, equipment and software for infection prevention and detection, and strengthen and in some cases establish physical distancing practices. The enhancements, which began in December 2023, are expected to significantly reduce the transmission of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases among staff, inmates, visitors and the community, and better position these facilities to respond to future outbreaks.
