ARKANSAS — Civil rights advocates across the state of Arkansas are filing a lawsuit against the governor after hundreds of inmates statewide tested positive for COVID-19.
Some advocates say the state did not take the necessary precautions before more than 700 inmates across the state tested positive.
The Arkansas Department of Corrections said most of the cases are at the Cummins unit in Pine Bluff with 681 inmates and 14 staff members testing positive.
State leaders said they are working with the prison system to try to prevent the spread, but civil rights advocates said they feel they need to sue to ensure inmates are receiving protection.
“No, we do not think they took the necessary steps,” said Cristy Park, staff attorney at Disability Rights Arkansas. “They’re not even following the CDC guidance.”
The lawsuit says state officials failed to take essential measures to ensure social distancing, safe and sanitary conditions and access to hygiene products, cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment.
“They’re seeing themselves or others appear symptomatic and appear to need medical treatment or to be tested so they can be segregated, and that’s not happening timely,” said Reagan Stanford, another staff attorney at Disability Rights Arkansas.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson posted on social media that he is asking the parole board to identify and review nonviolent offenders and those due for release in six months to be considered for early release.
But state officials said that may not apply to the Cummins unit due to the outbreak.
“We would not encourage a release at a unit where there is an ongoing outbreak until that’s under control,” Arkansas’ Secretary of Health Dr. Nathaniel Smith said. “It would not be a good thing because if someone had tested positive and then were released, and for example, they didn’t have a place to stay, and they went to a homeless shelter, well then you’d have a bunch more people exposed.”
Prison officials said testing is continuing at all state prisons.
