Coronavirus: a history of pandemics in prison

“As the COVID-19 pandemic wreaks havoc across the world, the alarm has been sounded in prisons too”, the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative reported early in April. It wasn’t wrong. Jails are high-risk environments for disease, where pathogens are easily transmitted.

Prisoners are particularly vulnerable – the new coronavirus spreads rapidly in conditions of overcrowding, and many prisons have limited healthcare and poor levels of hygiene. Enhanced cleanliness regimes and the early release of inmates are now being considered by governments all over the world.