Arizona's prisons director will now allow correctional officers to wear "non-medical" masks to prevent transmission of COVID-19, according to an internal email shared with The Arizona Republic.

David Shinn, director of the Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry, issued the new guidance Friday, about a week after a Lewis prison lieutenant filed a whistleblower complaint claiming Shinn had barred officers from wearing protective equipment because he believed masks would "scare the inmates."

"CDC (the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) will be issuing recommendations for people to wear a non-medical mask … upon leaving home to prevent transmission of COVID-19 while conducting essential business," Shinn said in his email.

The department is "recommending individuals wear a basic cloth or fabric mask that can be washed or reused" in response, he said.

The direction was effective immediately, according to the email. But staff will have to briefly remove masks for identification purposes when entering and exiting prison complexes.

Whistleblower: Officers fought to protect themselves

As of Friday, Arizona had nearly 1,800 confirmed cases of COVID-19 — most likely a significant undercount, given testing availability — and at least 41 deaths. State officials expect illnesses to peak later this month and hospitalizations to peak in May.

Public health experts throughout the U.S. have warned of possible new coronavirus outbreaks in "petri dish" environments, such as jails and prisons, since COVID-19 can spread quickly in enclosed spaces and among people with chronic health problems.

They, along with defense lawyers and justice-reform advocates, have argued containment efforts at prisons are moving far too slowly. They've pushed for the early release of non-violent offenders nearing the end of their sentences — something Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey does not plan to do, according to his spokesman.

In lieu of such measures, correctional officers asked the department for personal protective equipment to protect themselves and others while at work last month, according to the March 26 whistleblower complaint filed by Lt. Mark Hasz.

Officials turned them down, Hasz said, explaining that widespread "PPE," or personal protective equipment, shortages meant they needed to prioritize sick individuals and medical professionals. When officers got their own masks, supervisors stopped them from wearing those, too, the complaint says.

"Director Shinn confirmed that he had given the order forbidding staff from bringing in and wearing their own PPE … because he believed that masked officers would scare the inmates," Hasz wrote.

Hasz warned that "while the rest of the country is engaged in social distancing, (corrections) employees, as part of their job, must come into close personal contact with hundreds of inmates on a daily basis."

Once the coronavirus enters the prison system, he wrote, it will spread swiftly among prisoners, prison staff and their families.

Evolving guidelines

Last month, when a court order forced corrections officials to outline the steps they were taking to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the department's PPE procedures focused on individuals who interacted with infected or possibly infected prisoners.

The procedures did not recommend widespread use of protective gear.

"Staff are to wear Personal Protective Equipment (N-95 mask, eye shield, gown and gloves) when escorting or transporting or entering the room of a person suspected of COVID-19 infection," the guidelines said. "Recognize that droplets can remain active on surfaces and clothing for several hours."

On Wednesday, corrections officials published a "COVID-19 management strategy update" that said the agency did not want to use up protective equipment "unnecessarily."

"At this point in the pandemic, our posture continues to focus on presentation of symptoms which has been effective in managing the situation to this point," the update said.

Two days later, Shinn issued the guidance recommending basic masks, saying it would "further reduce the potential transmission exposure our staff presents to the inmate population while entering and exiting our institutions."

While experts say basic masks provide little protection from the virus if you don't have it, they can help protect others if you've been infected, which could help slow asymptomatic transmission.

Shinn stressed in his email that officials would "continue to prioritize medical masks for healthcare workers and our employees in direct contact with individuals who exhibit active flu-like or COVID-19 symptoms."

Reach the reporter at maria.polletta@arizonarepublic.com or 602-653-6807. Follow her on Twitter @mpolletta.

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