Flattening the Curve in Jails and Prisons: Factors Underlying Support for COVID-19 Mitigation Policies

Jails and prisons have become hotbeds of COVID-19 outbreaks. Various policies, such as improving access to medical care for inmates, providing soap and hand sanitizer to improve hygiene, and releasing some inmates to facilitate social distancing, have been proposed as ways to mitigate the spread of the virus in these facilities. Across 2 studies, we examined the factors underlying support for policies aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19 in jails (n = 132) and prisons (n = 125) and yielded 3 key findings. Factors found in prior research to be associated with desire for punitive responses-namely, negative attitudes toward offenders and, to a lesser extent, lack of trust in the criminal justice system-were found to underlie lack of support for all types of COVID-19 mitigation policies. Concern related to COVID-19-namely, perceptions of personal risk of contracting the virus-was related to increased support for policies to curb the spread of the virus among inmates. Social media consumption and reliance on social media for news regarding COVID-19 demonstrated inconsistent relationships with support for policies. These findings suggest that factors related to support for harsh treatment of offenders and concerns related to the present situation both contribute to support for criminal justice policy during a crisis situation like a pandemic. The recommended policies offer hope for reducing the negative impact of COVID-19 among justice-involved people. We offer suggestions on tailoring messaging to improve public support for these policies.

Automated summary

Jails and prisons have become hotspots for COVID-19 outbreaks, with various policies proposed to mitigate the spread such as improving medical care, providing hygiene products, and releasing inmates. Factors such as negative attitudes towards offenders and lack of trust in the criminal justice system were found to underlie lack of support for COVID-19 mitigation policies, while concerns related to personal risk of contracting the virus increased support for these policies.