Inmates are 5 times more likely to get coronavirus than the general population, study says

By Justin Carissimo

The coronavirus pandemic is ravaging America's jails and prisons, resulting in a higher number of deaths and infection rates than the general population, according to a study from Johns Hopkins University and UCLA's COVID-19 Behind Bars Data Project. 

The research letter, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that inmates are 3 times more likely to die and 5.5 times more likely to become infected by the virus.

The researchers analyzed cases between March 31 and June 6, and found that 510 inmates had died from the virus and 42,107 had been infected. The data — compiled from state and federal correctional facilities across the country — provides the largest picture yet of pandemic's toll on America's prison system.  Read more >>