The staff and management of the Westville Correctional Facility are working to limit the risk of exposure to COVID-19 to all offenders and staff members.
Members of the Purposeful Living Units Serve Program and the Level One Unit WCA are focusing on making face masks with donated material from community members, religious groups, and staff including material, elastic, hair ties and sewing machines. Nearly 2,500 face masks are being made for each offender housed at the Westville facility and its employees. The masks will be worn at all times.
Medical personnel at the Westville Correctional Facility are screening staff and offenders daily for fevers. Any employee who has a temperature of over 100 degrees is sent home and can’t return unless all CDC guidelines are met.
Offenders who have a fever of 100 degrees are quarantined for up to 14 days for monitoring. Positive cases are isolated in a different area, pending recovery from the virus. Each unit is being staffed by the same custody officers to reduce exposure risk.
Continuous cleaning and social distancing practices are being conducted whenever possible. Face-to-face visits are canceled as well as volunteer programs.
In the meantime, Westville administrators are working to find unique ways to engage the offenders by offering religious services via videos played through the television system and working on starter plants for the facility garden.
As of Monday’s report on the Department of Correction website, there are currently 138 offenders who have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Westville Correctional Facility, with 1,498 offenders in quarantine, 158 offenders in isolation, and one confirmed death.
