AFP Joins Coalition Calling for Increased Testing, Transparency in Correctional Facilities
AFP Joins Coalition Calling for Increased Testing, Transparency in Correctional Facilities
CHARLESTON, WV – Americans for Prosperity-West Virginia (AFP-WV) today joined a broad coalition of organizations to urge Governor Justice and the West Virginia Department of Corrections to increase testing for detained individuals and employees of correctional facilities.
The coalition is pushing for increased transparency and urging West Virginia to follow states like Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas that have been more transparent about how many tests they’ve done in total among incarcerated individuals, as well as positive results for both detained individuals and staff.
Americans for Prosperity-West Virginia (AFP-WV) State Director Jason Huffman issued the following statement:
“Increased transparency and testing are imperative to helping incarcerated individuals eventually return to their communities and families. With positive cases being reported in correctional facilities, our policymakers need to ensure we have an accurate depiction of the threat our criminal justice system faces. We’re urging Governor Justice and his administration to protect all West Virginians from this pandemic, especially our incarcerated population who do not have the freedom to quarantine and corrections employees who go home to their families every day.”
Background:
Americans for Prosperity has signed onto the SAFER Plan, a plan developed among a broad, bipartisan coalition that intend to combat the effects from COVID-19. The group also commended President Trump for his response to COVID-19 in federal prisons and urged him to expand the use of home confinement for elderly incarcerated individuals.
As part of Second Chances Month, the grassroots group re-issued the call for lawmakers and justice system actors to work together and adopt recommendations which would guarantee that every American involved in the criminal justice system adequate protection from the spread of COVID-19.
