The Global Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Institutional and Community Corrections

Book excerpt: The authors of the chapters included in this volume provide preliminary answers to questions such as: How extensive were COVID-19 outbreaks in prisons, jails, and community corrections systems globally? Which regions and countries reported the largest outbreaks? Why were prisons and jails found to be "hot spots" for the spread of COVID-19 in most countries? How did governments initially respond to COVID-19 outbreaks in their corrections systems? Did the mitigation strategies used in each country reduce the spread of the infection in the corrections system (both in prisons and jails, and in community corrections)? Did the corrections-focused mitigation strategies used in each country have a positive or an adverse impact on public health and public safety? How likely is it that the varied short-term mitigation strategies implemented by governments will result in long-term changes in corrections policies and practices? The book includes three chapters examining the global impact of the COVID-19 outbreaks, six regional overviews, and 27 country-specific reviews, including reviews targeting 21 of the 50 largest prison systems globally. This collection will be an excellent resource for researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and the general public interested in knowing more about the nature and extent of COVID-19 outbreaks in corrections systems globally, and about the diversity of responses developed and implemented by governments from each global region. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of the journal Victims & Offenders.