Pulaski County Sheriff Jeff Richwine is keeping an eye on the impact of COVID-19 at other area jails. He told the county commissioners last week that he’s been in contact with the Porter County sheriff, where several inmates have now tested positive.
Richwine also brought up the Westville Correctional Facility, which has had over 100 cases and one death. “Both places think that it went through the ventilation system, so that’s how it spread into the prison once it got in there,” Richwine said. “That’s kind of interesting and kind of a scary thought, if you think about it. Of course, our jail’s not a negative flow. The air moves everywhere through the jail.”
Richwine said his staff continues to step up cleaning efforts to try to keep the coronavirus out with the help of a janitorial cleaning services company. “The jail’s pretty daggone clean,” he told the commissioners. “They clean it two to three times a day.”
The sheriff hopes the cost of cleaning supplies will be eligible for a 75-percent federal reimbursement.
