When Gov. Tate Reeves announced a state of emergency last month to deal with the coronavirus, he said the spread of the virus into Mississippi's prison system "could be a worst case scenario,"

.Now that the Mississippi Department of Corrections has confirmed an inmate who died in a Greenville hospital over the weekend tested positive for COVID-19, FWD.us, a national criminal justice reform group, is calling on the state to take action to reduce the state's prison population.

FWD.us Mississippi Director Alesha Judkins said in a statement Tuesday that the recent death of an incarcerated person who tested positive for COVID-19 at the Mississippi State Penitentiary is a tragedy.

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"This tragic loss of life reinforces the need for immediate, bold action to protect people incarcerated in our jails and prisons amid this health crisis: people’s lives are at stake," Judkins said. "Now more than ever, Mississippi lawmakers must prioritize addressing our state’s incarceration crisis, reduce the dangerously high number of people behind bars, and provide ways for them to return home safely. "

Judkins said people locked up in America's jails and prisons generally have increased underlying chronic health issues, are unable to access even the most basic medical care, and cannot practice social distancing to prevent the spread of the virus. And Judkins said Mississippi has relied on extreme sentencing for decades, resulting in an increasing elderly population in prisons, a population among the most vulnerable to the virus.

While the legislative session is suspended, FWD.us urges Reeves to use administrative powers like parole and commutation to allow people who can to return home to their families where they can practice social distancing.

MDOC interim Commissioner Tommy Taylor said MDOC is working to keep inmates and staff safe.

Taylor said the first case of an inmate testing positive for COVID-19 comes as no surprise. He said the prison population in the state is larger than some small cities. As of April 1, more than 18,500 inmates were in state custody.

Taylor said that since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, MDOC facilities have been under quarantine with restricted transfers, no visitations other than attorneys, and daily screening of facility staff.

With the first positive case, MDOC has isolated all the affected areas and increased screenings for inmates who came in contact with the affected individual. Inmates who came in close contact with the positive individual have been provided with masks, according to Taylor.

Taylor said inmates in the enhanced quarantined locations will be monitored twice a day for any signs or symptoms of the virus, and all frequently touched areas, such as workstations, countertops, doorknobs, light switches, handrails and computer keyboards are being sanitized regularly.

Further, Taylor said MDOC continues to work with the Governor’s Office, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and the Mississippi State Department of Health to protect public health.for the general public.

“The inmates under quarantine are not on lockdown, but they are not going to work or school,” Taylor said. “We are letting inmates know we are concerned about their health and will continue to make adjustments in our protocols as needed to ensure their safety.”

Contact Jimmie E. Gates at 601-961-7212 or jgates@gannett.com. Follow @jgatesnews on Twitter.