⁍ The five largest clusters of coronavirus in the US are in prisons.

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⁍ Those who contract the virus are frequently placed in solitary confinement.

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⁍ Black Americans are incarcerated at more than five times the rate of white Americans.

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– As the US deals with an outbreak of coronavirus in prisons, Ashish Prashar at Business Insider is calling for reforms. “Yes, solitary confinement. It’s not a great incentive for inmates to come forward if they have symptoms if the institution’s policy is to punish you further,” he writes. “Right now our society, our elected officials and those in power are neglecting the safety of millions of people trapped in correctional facilities. They are showing once again that Black and brown people are disposable in the United States.” The five largest clusters of coronavirus in the US are in prisons. Confinement is the antithesis of social distancing. Cells are small; supplies like soap and masks are scarce; testing is inadequate; shared showers and common areas are natural COVID incubators. If all of that isn’t bad enough, those who contract the virus are frequently placed in solitary confinement because prisons have nowhere else to quarantine them. “Yes, solitary confinement. It’s not a great incentive for inmates to come forward if they have symptoms if the institution’s policy is to punish you further,” he writes. “If this pandemic has taught us anything, it is we’re all in this together, trying to survive.” Click for his full column.