SCI Forest reports first COVID-19 inmate death

HARRISBURG, Pa (WJAC) — Officials with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections announced the first COVID-19 inmate death at SCI Forest.

Authorities say the inmate, whose name will not be released, was a 65-year-old male with underlying health conditions who passed away at a local hospital on Tuesday.

Officials say he was serving a 10 to 20-year sentence for burglary and had been at the facility since September of this year.

Authorities note that the inmate tested positive while at the hospital.

“We continue our battle against this dangerous invisible enemy,” Corrections Secretary John Wetzel said. “We are experiencing a resurgence. That is why it is vital to continue our aggressive mitigation efforts. We cannot let our guard down.”

According to the DOC dashboard, SCI Forest is reporting 10 active cases among inmates and 19 among staff.

“We are experiencing the same thing that our counties are experiencing, and we are following very strict procedures to mitigate the virus’ impact on our state prisons,” Wetzel said. “I’ve directed our staff to act aggressively and quickly when inmates report influenza-like illnesses, and that includes isolating and quarantining inmates, locking down units or entire prisons as needed, conducting regular cleanings and even 72-hour deep cleanings in order to protect staff and inmates.”

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