Think Out Loud

People whose loved ones are in prison in Oregon are worried about the spread of COVID-19 inside the state’s 14 correctional institutions. Last week, a man at the Oregon State Penitentiary died after testing positive for the virus. His is considered the first COVID-19-related death connected to the state’s prison system. Inmates are particularly at risk for contracting the virus because social distancing is often impossible inside prisons and jails. People who are incarcerated also often have underlying health conditions. We hear from Natasha Pickens, whose husband, Anthony Pickens, is currently incarcerated at the Oregon State Penitentiary and Colette Peters, director of the Oregon Department of Corrections.