Brooklyn Daily Eagle: Brooklyn Defenders and others want transparent COVID protocols for NYC jails

“A group of legal service providers including Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS) came together to write a letter demanding that certain city agencies provide clear and transparent COVID-19 protocols for local jails.

The groups, which also include the Legal Aid Society, the Bronx Defenders, New York County Defenders, Queens Defenders and Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem sent the letter on Monday that demanded answers six months after the pandemic has taken full effect in New York.

“We also seek information about how the Board of Correction intends to monitor the agencies’ implementation of these policies going forward,” said the letter. “To date, the lack of clear information from DOC (Department of Correction) and CHS (Correctional Health Services), including policies and procedures for testing people in custody and staff, and how incarcerated individuals will be able to quarantined and housed safely as facilities close and the population grows, has given us grave concerns that there have not been adequate preparations for a second wave of cases.”

Read the full article here