As the number of cases of the new coronavirus increases in Arizona, attorneys for inmates in the state prisons are growing increasingly concerned about their clients' well-being.

On Monday, they asked the courts to force the state to come up with a prevention and health care plan.

The illness can spread quickly in enclosed spaces, particularly among individuals with chronic health problems. Prisons and jails have become outbreak hot spots in other countries.

People who are incarcerated in Maricopa County jails and Arizona prisons are provided soap and water to wash their hands, but are not being provided alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Attorneys for inmates in Arizona prisons visited the Florence facility last week and described it as having "unsanitary conditions," according to a letter they sent to Timothy Bojanowski, the lawyer for the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry.

The Prison Law Office claimed in its letter that the department and it's healthcare contractor, Centurion, have not provided clear plans for how they will protect inmates.

"The tens of thousands of people in ADC custody are highly vulnerable to outbreaks of contagious illnesses, and the risk here is only heightened by the unsanitary conditions in the prisons, failure to take strong and sensible precautionary measures, and the already inadequate medical staffing and treatment," the attorneys wrote.

There is already a longstanding lawsuit against the state prisons by inmates who claimed healthcare was inadequate.

Lawyers at the Arizona Center for Disability Law, American Civil Liberties Union, the Prison Law Office and other firms filed sued the state prisons in 2012. A settlement was reached in 2014, but the state has failed to meet the terms of the settlement and the legal battle has continued.

The attorneys on Monday filed an emergency motion asking the federal court to order the Department of Corrections to make a plan with the court's expert to address coronavirus.

United States District Judge Roslyn Silver ordered the department to file a response by Wednesday.

Response in Arizona prisons

Last week, the Department of Corrections announced it was suspending all visits with inmates for at least the next 30 days.

The department's spokesperson, Bill Lamoreaux, told The Arizona Republic that it is in contact with the Arizona Department of Health Services to address any future concerns.

"Additionally, employees and inmates are being encouraged to take preventative steps like frequently washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, covering up coughs and sneezes with their sleeves or a tissue, and regularly cleaning and disinfecting shared surfaces."

Lamoreaux said the department strictly controls inmates' access to alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

"Soap and water is readily available for staff and inmates. Hand sanitizer is available for staff," he told The Arizona Republic.

The department is planning to follow its Communicable Disease and Infection Control Policy if any cases occur, including:

A health care provider must evaluate the inmate's medical condition.

Placing the inmate in isolation, if indicated.

Notifying the Contract Facility Health Administrator of any confirmed or suspected communicable disease.

Following the guidelines in the Heath Services Technical Manual, Arizona Department of Health Services or the Centers for Disease Control.

The inmate's lawyers in their letter said the plan isn't adequate to address the new coronavirus specifically, and that endangers both the prison population and the broader community. =

"Failure to address COVID-19 in the state’s prisons also threatens the community at large, as thousands of correctional, health care, and other staff interact with the incarcerated population every day, and then return to their homes and communities," the lawyers stated.

The attorneys asked the judge to order a plan that includes ways to reduce the density of the prison population, to provide screening and education, to stop charging inmates for soap and to lift the ban on alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, older adults and those with chronic conditions are at higher risk of getting very sick from the new coronavirus. Both of those populations tend to be high in prisons.

The lawyers stated in their letter to the department that they saw "crowded, filthy, unventilated dorms, tents, and Quonset huts housing elderly, frail men with chronic health conditions and multiple disabilities," when visiting the Florence prison.

Quonest huts, are lighweight, semi-circular steel structures.

Board of Clemency

The Arizona Board of Executive Clemency announced that hearings will be closed to the public. The hearings will now be conducted over the phone.

The board grants parole and related decisions to inmates and makes clemency recommendations to the governor.

Response in Maricopa County jails

Maricopa County told The Republic that it has a plan for handling the illness in the jails.

On Sunday, Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone announced the office is suspending access to facilities for volunteer and supplemental services.

Penzone stated in a news release that there were no cases of the coronavirus inside the jails but this move was a precaution to protection officers, staff and the incarcerated population.

People with loved ones in jail are still able to go to the facilities do video visits. The jail does not do in-person visits.

"Our newly-established tablet technology, which is deployed throughout our jail system, allows family, friends and community members to continue to communicate with inmates through the use of video visitation, messaging and e-mails," Penzone stated.

Penzone noted the changes will not affect court-ordered visits or legal obligations at the facilities.

Staff and inmates have access to hand soap and water to wash their hands. The Sheriff's Office is addressing "high-touch" areas with its cleaning staff.

Correctional Health Services told The Republic last week it updated it's influenza protocol to include coronavirus due to the illness having similar symptoms: fever, cough and shortness of breath.

The clinic may give individuals incarcerated in the county jail who have symptoms over-the-counter medication.

Correctional Health Services adapted screening guidelines from the Maricopa County Department of Public Health:

They will receive a travel and contact history from inmates with fevers or acute respiratory illness.

Testing will be done for those showing symptoms who had close contact with someone who tested positive for coronavirus.

Inmates who are symptomatic or who have been in close contact with someone with the illness:

Will be placed in the infirmary or an isolation room.

Healthcare personnel entering their room will use clinical precautions.

Health services will work with public health offices throughout the protocol.

Correctional Health employees are being advised to stay home when they are sick, to call their healthcare provider before coming into work and to practice preventive measures.

Have thoughts about healthcare access in Arizona prisons and jails? Reach criminal justice reporter Lauren Castle at Lauren.Castle@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Lauren_Castle.

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