IU study looks into how Covid-19 impacted local Indiana jails

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WSBT on 3/22/2021 by Kristin Bien

A new study found that changes made by jails in Indiana and around the country in the early days of coronavirus outbreak had an impact on inmates and staff. The study from the Center for Health and Justice Research at the IU Public Policy Institute also found that changes made in 2020 because of coronavirus could last longer than the pandemic.

The study, Effect of Covid-19 On Indiana Jail Populations & Operations, compared jail populations in 19 Indiana counties with jail populations across the country. Researchers also interviewed Sheriff’s and jail administrators about how they managed.

In the early days of the pandemic, jails around the country scrambled to make changes.

“Our staff gave it their all to make sure our staff and our inmates were safe here at the jail,” says Sheriff William Redman from St. Joseph County.

Even after nearly 30 years in law enforcement, a pandemic was like nothing St. Joseph County Sheriff Bill Redman had ever experienced.