Kansas confirms first inmate death from COVID-19; Kelly considering early prisoner release
Kansas officials announced the state’s first inmate death from the COVID-19 pandemic Monday, a grim disclosure that comes as prisoners across the state sue for early release because of a coronavirus outbreak that has sickened dozens at the Lansing Correctional Facility.
A male inmate over the age of 50 with underlying health conditions died from the virus over the weekend, Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Lee Norman said at a news conference. He resided at Lansing.
The death occurred after the governor said last week she is close to allowing some portion of the state’s approximately 9,600 inmates to leave prison ahead of schedule.
Kansas has identified Lansing as a cluster site and health officials have devoted extra attention to containing the virus’s spread within the prison. Jails and prisons across the country, with communal living in tight quarters, have proved dangerously susceptible to the virus.
COVID-19 has infected at least 57 inmates and 66 staff members, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC). Twenty-five inmates and eight staff have recovered. Three cases in other facilities have also been reported.
As prisons hunker down, riots have rocked both the Lansing and Ellsworth correctional facilities this month. State officials haven’t attributed the disturbances to the pandemic, though a purported video of the Lansing incident linked the uprising to health care.
A group of Kansas inmates are challenging their imprisonment, contending Kansas is violating their constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment. Their lawsuit, brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, echoes other cases around the country where inmates are seeking release during the pandemic.
In the suit, filed earlier this month, eight inmates at prisons in Lansing, Ellsworth and Topeka demand more aggressive measures to contain the virus, including housing to isolate those who have tested positive, a social distancing plan and unrestricted access to soap and other sanitizers. They also want early release for some inmates.
“The extraordinary circumstances of the current COVID-19 pandemic warrant extraordinary relief,” the lawsuit reads.
KDOC in a legal brief called its response “aggressive, informed, intelligent, comprehensive, progressive, and generally successful.”
The agency says it has reduced inmate movement, activated an intake isolation unit and removed a $2 co-pay for inmate health care to encourage reporting of symptoms. Inmate visitation has been suspended and handwashing basins in restrooms continue to have soap, according to the agency.
Across the state, Kansas holds about 4,000 inmates who have less than 18 months to serve. And about 1,200 inmates age 50 and older have more than 18 months to serve, according to an affidavit by Joel Hrabe, KDOC deputy secretary for facilities management.
In recent days, Kelly has said she plans to release some inmates who are already nearing the end of their sentences. But she has also cautioned it won’t be a “huge number.”
“We’re actually very close to announcing that,” Kelly said last Wednesday.
The Star’s Nicole Asbury contributed reporting
This story was originally published April 27, 2020 at 3:10 PM with the headline "Kansas confirms first inmate death from COVID-19; Kelly considering early prisoner release."