Lawsuit Alleges Unsanitary Conditions and COVID-19 Spread in Prince George's Jail

A civil rights group filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday alleging unsanitary conditions at the Prince George’s County Jail and seeking release of medically vulnerable inmates.

The Civil Rights Corps filed the emergency class action complaint against Prince George’s County Department of Corrections Director Mary Lou McDonough, alleging that the jail has ignored hygiene recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The lawsuit was filed with more than two dozen declarations from inmates, describing conditions including a lack of soap and hygiene supplies, overflowing trash bins and unsanitary conditions.

The county announced the first COVID-19 case in its corrections department on March 30. On April 3, four additional cases ― three inmates and a correctional officer ― were announced. The lawsuit claims there is an “uncontrolled outbreak” in the facility and cases in the jail could be as high as 77, based on information from staff and inmates.

Read more: https://www.marylandmatters.org/2020/04/22/lawsuit-alleges-unsanitary-conditions-and-covid-19-spread-in-prince-georges-jail/