We have learned that packing people into close quarters is a recipe for creating COVID-19 death traps. Think nursing homes, cruise and Navy ships, pork plants, immigrant detention facilities and prisons. 

In fact, some of the worst outbreaks in the country have occurred in our 60 federal prisons. With nearly 155,000 prisoners and 36,000 staff at risk, the casualties and fatalities are mounting: 

• 540 inmates and 353 staff tested positive for COVID-19 
• 23 inmates have died; zero staff have died

In response, Congress gave the DOJ authority (CARES ACT) to allow non-violent prisoners to serve their sentences in home confinement. They started ordering early release for some inmates—then inexplicably pulled back, leaving inmates, families and even a federal judge confused and irate.  

The Trump DOJ cannot be trusted to do this job competently and humanely. Prison staff started to quarantine prisoners, then released them back to the general prison population. Congress should step in again to protect prisoners and prison staff:  

• Require DOJ to immediately plan for and release to home confinement non-violent prisoners, regardless of how long they have already served  
• Adequately fund prison health care  
• Fund enough medical equipment and require social distancing protections