The Correctional Responses to COVID-19: in Ohio, the U.S., and Across the Globe

The Correctional Responses to COVID-19: in Ohio, the U.S., and Across the Globe

Presenter(s)

Kendall Visco

Comments

1:40-2:00, Kennedy Union 222

Description

The United States has the largest correctional system in the world, and as a result, the system is vulnerable to various public health issues, the most recent being the COVID-19 pandemic. Correctional institutions across the country were completely unprepared for the pandemic, in terms of supplies and regulations. As a result, tens of thousands of incarcerated individuals fell sick in outbreaks, and thousands more passed away due to complications. Regulations varied from institution to institution, and policies then and now are still unclear. In order to prepare for the future, understanding of these policies is vital to better understand where successes and failures were, and this project aims to shed light on this topic. Analysis of available data regarding policy and interviews of individuals exonerated through the Ohio Innocence Project will be conducted. Questions will be related to the policies implemented before, during, and after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021, as well as personal experiences living with the pandemic and how they individually believe policies could have been improved. This information will fill in current gaps in understanding and serve to help correctional institutions better understand how to protect their staff and incarcerated populations from future outbreaks and pandemics.

Publication Date

4-23-2025

Project Designation

Honors Thesis

Primary Advisor

Laura M. Heller

Primary Advisor's Department

Criminal Justice and Security Studies

Keywords

Stander Symposium, College of Arts and Sciences

Institutional Learning Goals

Critical Evaluation of Our Times; Vocation; Scholarship

The Correctional Responses to COVID-19: in Ohio, the U.S., and Across the Globe

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