Mitigating COVID-19 Burden in People Experiencing Incarceration: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Infectious Disease Control

Background:

• People experiencing incarceration (PEI) face disproportionately severe COVID-19 outcomes.
• Numerous interventions were implemented in correctional facilities to curb COVID-19 transmission and impact.
• A systematic review is crucial to evaluate the efficacy of these public health measures within carceral settings.

Approach:

• Systematic review of 22 studies assessing interventions in incarceration facilities.
• Analysis focused on measures aimed at mitigating COVID-19 transmission and risk.
• Evaluation considered study quality and limitations, including confounding variables and data sources.

Key Points:

• Measures such as reducing incarcerated populations, cohorting, hygiene protocols, and vaccine prioritization demonstrated some effectiveness.
• Mass asymptomatic testing showed limited impact, often due to low uptake.
• Visitation suspension yielded conflicting evidence regarding its effectiveness in controlling transmission.

Conclusions:

• Several interventions show potential for reducing COVID-19 transmission and risk among PEI.
• Low-to-medium study quality and methodological limitations hinder definitive conclusions.
• There is a critical need for higher-quality research with robust designs to validate these findings.