LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky (ACLU-KY) filed a lawsuit to release seven people being held at the Kentucky Correctional Institution for Women (KCIW) who are at a heightened risk of complications from COVID-19 if contracted.
After three staff members and 11 incarcerated people at KCIW have tested positive for COVID-19, the facility was locked down, and hundreds of staff members and those incarcerated were tested.
“There is a significant public health interest in releasing our clients to home incarceration,” said Heather Gatnarek, staff attorney at the ACLU of Kentucky. “We saw how quickly the coronavirus outbreak at Green River Correctional Complex turned deadly. Once coronavirus enters a prison, it spreads rapidly. Our clients are in grave danger.”
According to the those filing the lawsuit, there is an increased likelihood of contracting COVID-19 due to the "cramped and unsanitary conditions of KCIW."
Find out more about the lawsuit here.
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