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Putnamville staff, offenders work to prevent spread of COVID-19
While positive cases are continually growing throughout the country and the state, staff and offenders at the Putnamville Correctional Facility are working to mitigate the spread of and exposure to COVID-19.
The facility has produced masks that were given to staff and offenders. Staff members are having temperatures taken every day prior to entering the facility, and anyone who has a fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher is sent home.
Those sent home cannot return to work until they meet the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) requirements to return to work.
Offenders who are screened and have a fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit are quarantined for up to 14 days for monitoring. Positive cases will be isolated in a different area pending recovery from the virus.
Each unit is being staffed by the same custody officers to reduce the risk of exposure, and only those required to enter are authorized to do so.
Putnamville has no confirmed cases at this time. The facility quickly made the decision to keep the offender and staff populations safe by temporarily canceling visits and volunteer programs.
Putnamville has assigned cleaning crews with both staff and offenders working around the clock, sanitizing door handles, phones, desks and other commonly touched areas. The staff and offender population are required to utilize personal protection equipment (PPE) at all times.
Alcohol-based hand sanitizer has been made available to all offenders and staff. Soap is also being made available to the offender population and replenished often.
The Putnamville educational department is continually developing lessons for offenders so they do not fall behind with their classwork.
The Purposeful Living Units Serve (PLUS) program and the Honor Dorm have assisted by volunteering to make masks.
Indiana prison industries are running pallet shops so the offenders can continue to work while practicing CDC guidelines for social distancing.
Offenders are getting the opportunity to stay in touch with family and friends utilizing two free phone calls and one video visit each week.
“Staff have shown their steadfast dedications to this mission, and we are doing everything within our power to keep this virus out of our facility and the state numbers low,” Warden Brian Smith said. “Safety for our staff, offenders and the community has always been the top priority.
“We are all fighting in this together, and I am proud of the dedicated staff and offender volunteers who are making masks, as well as the different cleaning crews, for their hard work,” he added.