“they just told me it was due to covid. they didn’t say anything about a christmas party or that it was guards or who had covid, but that was the reason given,” she said.
the correctional service refuted the claims regarding new restrictions in the prison, saying the institution is not locked down and inmates are not confined to their cells. the only change is the suspension of in-person visitation; inmates are still allowed out on their units throughout the day with access to video and phone calls to contact family and community supports, along with daily outdoor exercise time, the service said in a statement.
“csc continues to closely monitor the situation, test broadly, and diligently apply infection prevention and control measures to prevent the spread of covid-19 within the institution,” the federal agency said in an emailed statement sunday.
“in addition to the use of masks, medical isolation and physical distancing, we have also established cohorts and modified routines as a measure to help prevent the spread of the virus.”
earlier this year, drumheller institution had one of the most severe covid-19 outbreaks in any alberta federal facility, with 181 positive cases in inmates. no inmate deaths were directly tied to that outbreak. the prison was locked down for more than two months, with inmate movement heavily restricted, sparking
mental-health concerns
at the prison.