Table 8.
COVID prison project policy codebook
| Codebook variable and definition | |
|---|---|
| Code | Definition |
| Staff masks provided by DOCa | PPE provided by employer/DOC |
| Resident masks provided by DOCa | Resident masks are provided by DOC or facility. |
| Increased facility cleaning | Facility is cleaning more frequently. |
| Staff required to wear masksa | Staff are required to wear PPE/Masks while onsite |
| Extra cleaning products provided to residents at no cost | Facility has more hygiene products available and provides them for free. |
| Staff self-quarantine 14 days after positive | Required quarantine for 14 days after a staff person self-reports or tests positive. |
| Residents must always wear masksa | Facility mandates that everyone who is incarcerated is required to wear masks. |
| Staff have the option to wear masks | Staff have the option to wear PPE/Masks while onsite |
| Residents have the option to wear masks but not requireda | Residents have the option to wear PPE/Masks |
| Sanitizer is made widely available | Facility has made sanitizer widely available (for example, distributing it to individual people) |
| Sanitizer is available in limited locations | Facility is placing sanitizer in strategic locations (entrances, cafeterias) |
| Staff temperature checks occurring on site | Having temperature read on-site at facility |
| Staff verbal symptom screening occurring on site | Staff self-report of symptoms conducted at facility |
| Residents moved to medical isolation when COVID+ | Residents go into quarantine after a positive test. |
| New resident intakes/transfers are screened | New screenings practices for those coming into the facility at intake or via transfer. Ex. questionnaires, taking temperatures, etc. |
| Testing available to residents who are symptomatic | Tests were made available to anyone who indicated they were showing COVID-19 symptoms |
| Residents being mass tested at any pointa | Mass testing for everyone who is incarcerated within the facility regardless of symptomology. |
| Residents moved to medical isolation if they were in contact with someone who tested COVID+ | Residents go into quarantine after coming into contact with someone who has tested positive. |
| Residents moved to medical isolation when COVID test results are pending | Residents go into quarantine during a pending test. |
| Staff testing required at facility | State reports requiring staff to be tested |
| Suspended resident medical co-pays for COVID-19 or related symptoms | Facility suspends co-pays fully for COVID/possibly-related symptoms expenses. |
| Staff testing available but not required on-site | State reports that testing is available on-site to staff as needed |
| Suspended resident medical co-pays fully | Facility suspends co-pays fully for all medical expenses. |
| Staff testing optional through a private health care provider | State reports that testing is done for staff with the staff’s private health care provider |
| Testing available to anyone in the facility upon request | Testing available to anyone in the facility upon request |
| Movement restrictions within the facility | Individuals are limited in their ability to move (ex. housing pods). |
| Mandatory quarantine for new admits/transfers | New intake or transfer have a required quarantine period upon admittance (e.g., 7 days, 14 days, until negative test). |
| Transfers partially suspended (e.g., still transferring for medical/security reasons) | Some individuals are transferred the facility (medical, security reasons) |
| Implemented expedited releases | Facility is releasing individuals early (this could be for one subgroup of the population or restricted). |
| System-wide quarantine | Full facility goes on lockdown due to COVID-19 diagnosis present |
| New intakes fully suspended | No new individuals are entering the facility. |
| Transfer volume reduced | Reduction of number of transfers |
| New intakes partially suspended (still transfer for medical/security reasons, etc.) | Some individuals are entering the facility (medical, security reasons) |
| New intakes reduced by volume | Reduction of the number of intakes. |
| Transfers fully suspended | No new transfers. |
| In-person visitation is suspended | In-person visitation is completely suspended. |
| Free phone calls | Facility provides free phone calls to compensate for visitation restrictions. |
| Free video calls | Facility provides free video calls to compensate for visitation restrictions. |
| In-person visitation is restricted | In-person visitation is more limited than regular procedures. |
| Video calls other (e.g., made available if not previously program) | Other practices concerning video calls. |
| Phone calls other | Other practices concerning phone calls. |
| Reduced fee video calls | Facility reduces fees for video calls to compensate for visitation restrictions. |
| Reduced fee phone calls | Facility reduces fees for phone calls to compensate for visitation restrictions. |
| Longer or more phone calls | Facility provides more time for phone calls to compensate for visitation restrictions. |
| Longer or more video calls | Facility provides more time for video calls to compensate for visitation restrictions. |
| Programming restricted in some way | Programming done inside prisons that are mediated by paid internal staff providers are modified due to COVID (ex., suspended, operating in but in less frequency, done remotely or in reduced size) |
| Work release jobs limited | Facility cuts back on the number/type of work release jobs but does not fully suspend. |
| Expanded privileges (e.g., more snack line time) | Increase in the extent of privileges given to residents (e.g., having longer time to be in the snack line, free movie/game access, longer furloughs). |
| Reduced privileges (e.g., day passes, furloughs) | Decrease/reduction in the privileges given to residents normally (e.g., day passes or furloughs given). |
| Recreation/yard time increased | Increase in the amount of time residents are allowed to be in the yard/rec. |
| Recreation/yard time decreased | Decrease in the amount of time residents are allowed to be in the yard/rec. |
| Recreation/yard time suspended | Residents no longer able to have rec/yard time because of this COVID pandemic. |
aNote: No policies were mutually exclusive and percentage values indicate whether a policy has ever been released. Thus, policies that may seem as though they should total to 100% (e.g., staff masking optional and staff masking required) will not. Policies changed over time and therefore prison systems could have had both policies in place at some point during the pandemic