COVID-19 outbreak in Yazoo City federal prison facilities

Officials in Yazoo City are saying that 25 federal inmates and three staff members are positive for COVID-19.

The counts include inmates and staff in the Federal Correction Institution, Yazoo City, reports WLBT, with 18 inmates and two staff members infected in FCI Yazoo City Low, and seven inmates and one staffer infected in FCI Yazoo City Medium.

As of Tuesday morning, the Mississippi State Department of Health shows 32 cases of COVID-19 in Yazoo County. Because patients are counted in the state and/or county where they have permanent residence, it is unknown whether any of the inmates are included in the county’s totals.

It is also unclear what, if anything, is being done to treat the prisoners or prevent further infection in the facilities. The two facilities house nearly 4,000 inmates under low and medium security. The high security facility in Yazoo City houses another 543 federal inmates.