50% of inmates in jails vaccinated against COVID

‘420 of 493 prisoners who contracted infection during the second wave have recovered’

Half of the inmates in various prisons in the State have been administered COVID-19 vaccines, Mohammad Ahsan Reza, Inspector-General of Police (Prisons and Correctional Services), Andhra Pradesh, has said.

The jails are not overcrowded and the inmates are well within the stipulated number to ensure physical distancing, he says.

As many as 79 jails including the central prisons, district jails and sub-jails in the State has 7,336 inmates including 6,940 males and 396 females when compared to the authorised accommodation for 8,732 prisoners (7,815 males and 917 females).

“We have vaccinated 3,434 inmates with the first dose and eight with second dose. Similarly, 1,589 jail staff have got the first dose of the vaccine while 1,078 have got the second dose,” says Mr. Ahsan Reza.

Less fatalities

Compared to other States, the number of prisoners who succumbed to COVID-19 during the second wave is negligible. During the first wave, only one inmate died while 1,954 prisoners recovered from the infection. “As many as 493 inmates have contracted the infection during the second wave, of which two died while 420 have recovered. At present, 71 inmates are undergoing treatment,” adds Deputy Inspector-General (Prisons) M. Varaprasad, Kadapa.

However, four jail staff members died during the during the first wave while five staff have succumbed to the infection during the second wave.

“We are well ahead of our target and are all set to complete the vaccination drive within the stipulated time,” Mr. Varaprasad points out.