This map shows the number of confirmed cases and deaths of COVID-19 in approximately 35 facilities operating in the California state prison system. It conveys how the California prisoner population has been disproportionately affected by the pandemic by visualizing the number of confirmed cases at each state prison in relation to the reported net population in custody. Not only does this demonstrate how COVID-19 has impacted every facility, the map reveals which prisons have been hit the hardest during the pandemic. Chuckawalla Valley State Prison, located in Riverside County, has reported 1,705 confirmed cases—approximately 89.8% of its total prison population. Avenal State Prison in Kings County has an approximate population of 3,454 inmates, but has reported almost 3,000 confirmed cases—approximately 86.4% of its net population.
Although it is normal for prison populations to fluctuate, this has happened particularly in 2020 due to release actions and efforts to reduce populations, these high rates of exposure are largely unheard of. People incarcerated in the state system are inherently subject to high risks. Overcrowding is an issue in many prison facilities, which is of top concern especially when social distancing is required to significantly reduce and impede the spread of COVID-19.
According to a survey conducted at Princeton University, about 70% of people said they knew 0 people in a state or federal prison (Zheng et al.). The majority of Americans have zero direct ties to the prison population, which largely explains why COVID-19’s impact on inmates has garnered little attention on mainstream media despite the high rates and risk of exposure.
