Kids under threat: Virus hitting juvenile detention centers

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — For the tens of thousands of kids locked up in juvenile detention centers and other correctional facilities across America, experts have issued a gloomy warning: The coronavirus is coming.

Already this week, Louisiana confirmed that a staff member and three children in state custody had contracted the virus, including one living in a group home in Baton Rouge. Minnesota, New York, Texas and Connecticut also have reported positive tests among youth or staff.

Worried about the virus’s spread in crowded facilities, more than 30 correctional administrators and children’s rights advocates called Tuesday for the release of vulnerable youths and for the stoppage of all new admissions. They also want a clear safety plan for those who remain inside, including access to adequate cleaning supplies and contact with loved ones.

“Even though these kids are hidden from view, they are still part of our community and their health affects the health of all of us, as we affect them,” said Renee Slajda, of the nonprofit Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights.

“Imagine what would happen if one school were allowed to stay open, even when students began testing positive for the virus," Slajda said. "Hundreds of people would be exposed — the children, staff, and communities they go home to every night.”

When adults are counted, there are more than 2.2 million people behind bars nationwide, more than any other country in the world. Prisons and jails are considered possible incubators for the virus, with cases multiplying quickly once entering a facility.

At Rikers Island and nearby city lockups in New York alone, the number of cases jumped nearly tenfold to more than 320 in just two weeks, according to the Department of Corrections.

Some states have started releasing inmates at adult facilities,...