Utah Department of Corrections

Page updated 11/16/2020

Visit coronavirus.utah.gov for statewide information.

Update: 11/16/2020

See updates below in the "Latest Update" section for more information regarding outbreaks at the Utah State Prison in Draper and the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison. 

 

 __________________________________________________________

 

 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MESSAGE:

MIKE IMG

Mike Haddon, UDC executive director, shares a detailed message on October 5, 2020, regarding the recent outbreak in the Wasatch Facility at the Utah State Prison in Draper. 

 

__________________________________________________________

 

UTAH RESPONSE:

The Utah Department of Corrections (UDC) is working collaboratively with state partners — including the Lieutenant Governor’s task force — to address Coronavirus in Utah.

The safety of incarcerated individuals or those on supervision, along with our staff, volunteers and others who interact directly with our Department, is paramount.

As Coronavirus cases in Utah continue to increase, please know that we have outbreak strategies in place, which include prompt medical care and testing, and quarantining or isolating staff or incarcerated individuals. These updates will be shared via this webpage and social media. 

For more information on the virus, and for state-related updates, please visit the website:
https://coronavirus.utah.gov/.

Learn more extensively about the many steps UDC has taken to ensure the safety and health of incarcerated individuals and those on supervision with the Department here: https://le.utah.gov/interim/2020/pdf/00002842.pdf

  

__________________________________________________________

 

 

THE NUMBERS:

Total Confirmed Offender Cases to Date by Location

Screen Shot 2020 11 16 at 3.52.28 PM

 **At this time, the University of Utah Hospital requires that any inmate being transported to a hospital for any kind of care to be tested for COVID-19.

 **Starting May 20 prison intakes will be limited to Wednesdays. These will include intakes from all county jails and from Adult Probation & Parole. In direct consultation with local health officials, it was decided that these individuals will be in a cohort together for two weeks, and will each be tested for COVID-19 within 24-48 hours of arrival. Those who decline to be tested will be placed in a designated, separate area for two weeks. Please note that this increase in testing each week will reflect a spike in the overall number of inmates tested at the Utah State Prison in Draper and possibly a marginal increase at the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison.

Updated 11/16/2020 (COVID19 status will be updated twice per week. Any positive cases will be updated on the same day they occur.)

Total Confirmed Staff Cases: 129

Total Recovered Staff Cases: 92

Updated 11/16/2020

 

 

__________________________________________________________

 

 

LATEST UPDATE:                                                               

November 16, 2020

November 16, 2020

The Utah Department of Corrections reports its third death of a 50-year-old incarcerated individual on November 14 who was COVID-19 positive. The individual was hospitalized at the time of their death.

The individual was transported to the hospital for escalated treatment on October 12. The individual was pronounced dead at the hospital late Saturday night. 
Before being hospitalized the incarcerated individual was receiving treatment at the Wasatch Facility’s infirmary and prior to that was housed at the Wasatch Facility in A-Block where he was among one of the first to test positive for COVID-19. The family of the incarcerated individual has been notified. While it is believed his death was COVID-related, per protocol the cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner.
"I would like to express condolences to those who have lost incarcerated loved ones, as well as so many others in Utah who have lost loved ones due to this pandemic," said Mike Haddon, executive director for the Utah Department of Corrections. "As a State, we must all continue to pull together to combat the spread of COVID-19, including wearing our face coverings, social distancing and limiting contact with those outside our households."
At this time there are 684 active cases of COVID-19 between the Utah State Prison (USP) in Draper and the Central Utah Correctional Facility (CUCF) in Gunnison. Outbreaks are currently present in the following areas: Oquirrh 5, Promontory, Lone Peak, Wasatch (Dog-Block), Hickory, and Gale.  
At this time 344 incarcerated individuals have been medically designated as recovered. 

Both USP and CUCF are operating on a modified lockdown, meaning that out-of-cell time may be greatly limited in areas most impacted by the outbreaks.

The Department continues to collaborate closely with state and local health officials on movement and testing, which includes separating negative cases from positive cases.   

Many things have to be considered when moving an incarcerated individual, including COVID-19 protocols. We continue to work closely with state and local health officials, but our staff have to also consider other criteria for movement of an incarcerated individual including documented safety concerns, gang affiliations, ADA accommodations and other medical conditions unrelated to COVID-19.

The Department provides on-site medical care through the Clinical Services Bureau, which operates infirmaries at both the Utah State Prison and the Central Utah Correctional Facility. The infirmaries offer comprehensive, on-site medical care where medical staff can treat or stabilize inmates needing health care. Mental health services are also available to incarcerated individuals as needed.

The Bureau also contracts with outside hospitals and clinics for treatment of seriously ill inmates who cannot be properly cared for at an infirmary or require evaluation or care from a specialist.

Any incarcerated individual who exhibits symptoms outside the resources of our medical providers will receive care at a nearby hospital.

Our medical staff are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In areas of an outbreak our medical staff have an active presence on those units at least twice a day to check-in with incarcerated individuals. 

In areas like Oquirrh 5 where there are individuals who are already medically compromised (outside of COVID-19), we have standardly had a greater medical presence who actively monitor these individuals. 

Any incarcerated individual that communicates any discomfort will be given access to medications required or any other treatment required.

There are also active cases of COVID-19 at several community correctional centers: three offenders at Atherton Community Treatment Center, one offender at Bonneville Community Correctional Center, eight offenders at Fortitude Treatment Center, and five offenders at the Northern Utah Community Correctional Center.

We truly appreciate the continued patience of family members while we work through this situation.

As a reminder, the only way to share an incarcerated individual's medical information with a family member is through an Authorization to Formally Discuss Health Information Form. We've encouraged all incarcerated individuals to fill out this form through direct messaging a couple weeks ago, and will continue to promote that information in the coming days.

We will continue to provide updates as information becomes available.

If you would like to learn more about quarantine and isolation procedures, we would encourage you to review this document: https://corrections.utah.gov/images/Inmate_handout_full_0407_1.pdf

To learn more about the CDC recommendations that the UDC is currently following and exceeding (along with following local health officials recommendations) please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/correction-detention/guidance-correctional-detention.html

If you have additional questions, please contact the Department’s communications director, Kaitlin Felsted at 801-560-7608 or corrections@utah.govPlease expect that your call may go to voicemail, but we will get back to you as soon as we possibly can.

Visiting to remain suspended:

At this time, visiting (along with volunteer and religious services) will continue to remain on hold through December 1, at which time we will again reevaluate. We will continue to offer 10 free 15 minute phone calls per week.

   _________________________________

faqs iconspast updates

 

__________________________________________________________

 

 

COMMUNICATIONS TO INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS: 

Screen Shot 2020 10 06 at 10.25.27 AM.   Screen Shot 2020 07 16 at 2.28.29 PM.     Screen Shot 2020 07 16 at 2.22.47 PM   

 Screen Shot 2020 07 16 at 2.26.03 PM.    Screen Shot 2020 07 16 at 2.31.03 PM