Inmate at state prison in Aberdeen dies of COVID-19
An inmate at Stafford Creek Corrections Center in Aberdeen has died due to COVID-19, according to the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC). The state prison has seen an explosion of coronavirus cases in the last week.
The facility, which can hold just over 1,900 minimum, medium, and maximum-custody male inmates, had recorded 242 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in inmates and 24 cases in staff in the most recently available public data as of Friday, Dec. 11.
According to reporting from The Spokesman-Review, the cases were at 85 as of Dec. 4 and had increased to 237 by Tuesday, Dec. 8. Reached by phone Friday, DOC spokesperson Susan Biller said she did not have information on the number of active cases.
Living units were placed on quarantine status in early December, according to a DOC memo, and Dec. 5 the facility went into “Restricted Movement status,” which the memo says impacts the population’s “ability to attend regularly scheduled programs, call-outs and services.”
The inmate who died was at a local health care facility, according to a DOC press release. His death marks the fourth death of an incarcerated person announced by DOC.
McClatchy requested the inmate’s age, city of residence, and whether he had underlying health conditions. A spokesperson responded via email that DOC could not provide his age or other personally identifiable information. However, his crime of conviction occurred in King County and next of kin has been notified, spokesperson Rachel Ericson wrote.
Data show a total of 2,264 inmates in the state’s prison system have been diagnosed with COVID-19, 1,434 of those cases are active, and 827 have recovered. A total of 449 DOC staff members have been diagnosed and one has died.
This story was originally published December 11, 2020 at 12:13 PM with the headline "Inmate at state prison in Aberdeen dies of COVID-19."
.jpg)