Referred to: The Law Enforcement and Public Safety Committee (Chairwoman Walter and Legislators Fabiano, Haynes, Heppner, and Parete)

Vice-Chairwoman of the Legislature, Tracey A. Bartels, and Legislators Archer, Cahill, Criswell, Delaune, Greene, Heppner, and Walter offer the following:

          WHEREAS, the Ulster County Legislature hereby finds that the COVID-19 pandemic poses a threat to the health and safety of the employees and inmates of the Ulster County Jail; and

WHEREAS, a recent report released by the Federal Bureau of Prisons sets forth that out of 2,700 tests of inmates nationwide, 2,000 inmates tested positive for COVID-19; and

WHEREAS, according to the Marshall Project, as of May 20, at least 29,251 people in prison had tested positive for the illness, a 19 percent increase from the week before; and

WHEREAS, the highest number of COVID-19 cases tied to one location in the United States is a state prison in central Ohio; and

WHEREAS, prisons and jails are incubators and amplifiers of infectious disease and as such are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, putting both inmates and employees at risk; and

WHEREAS, the Ulster County Legislature finds that the testing of all new inmates of the Ulster County Jail will promote the health and safety of County employees and inmates; and

WHEREAS, the Ulster County Sheriff has taken significant and proactive measures to protect those residing and working in the facility; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, the Ulster County Legislature urges the Ulster County Sheriff to implement a policy mandating that all new inmates of the Ulster County Jail be tested for the COVID-19 virus during their intake and processing into the Jail; and, be it further

RESOLVED, the Ulster County Legislature further urges the Ulster County Sheriff to implement a policy requiring regular testing of all employees working at the Ulster County Jail,

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                       NOES:    

Passed Committee: Law Enforcement and Public Safety on _______________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

NONE