Milwaukee County jail inmate cross contamination of COVID-19 alleged by inmate being held on misdemeanor charges.
By H. Nelson Goodson
Hispanic News Network U.S.A.
April 7, 2020
Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Tuesday, Javier Salgado, 43, who is currently being held at the Milwaukee County jail for misdemeanor charges alleged that an inmate who shared a Pod (cellblock) with another sick inmate who tested positive for the Coronavirus (COVID-19) did not get tested for the virus before he was placed in another Pod with at least 48 inmates. Salgado says, that multiple cases of COVID-19 had been reported by inmates in the last two weeks, but correction officers don't provide sanitation items to clean individual cells and the inmates are not provided Facemasks, nor gloves and have to share confined areas with other inmates, which is difficult to practice social distancing with inmates when eating and other activities. Salgado and other inmates who fear getting infected with the virus had requested multiple times to be tested for COVID-19 and correction officers have refused to comply.
Salgado is the only inmate charged with a misdemeanor compared with most inmates charged with felonies that share the same cellblock at the County jail.
Salgado who was booked at the Milwaukee County jail on December 27, 2019 for multiple felony charges had a $200 dollar cash bail placed, but couldn't afford to bail out. Then on January 13, 2020, Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Elaine B. Fehrs made a motion to dismiss the charges against Salgado, the motion was granted by Milwaukee County Judge Jean Marie Kies and on January 16, Fehrs refiled the charges as misdemeanors and bail for Salgado was set at $750.
On March 12, Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) contacted Milwaukee County District Attorney John T. Chisholm via email in regards to Salgado's claimed of a double jeopardy injustice. Chisholm never responded to the HNNUSA email.
Salgado's public appointment attorney had made a motion to dismiss his case in December, but was denied by the presiding judge.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department has confirmed that a sheriff deputy and a staff jail store worker had recently tested positive for COVID-19 and had no contact with inmates or the public at the jail.
Update (4/8/2020): Milwaukee County jail inmate Javier Salgado who is being held for misdemeanor charges says, that Milwaukee County Corrections Officer Ward confirmed that 6 corrections officers have tested positive for COVID-19, 6 nurses at the jail as well and a cook who were all sent home.
Also, the Milwaukee County jail booking room was shutdown for sanitation. Ward also told Salgado, that at least 8 inmates and several corrections officers have tested positive for the virus at the Milwaukee County House of Corrections in Franklin. Salgado said, that about a week ago, a doctor spoke to the inmates in a Pod that everyone could become infected and that some inmates would not survive. Salgado has requested testing for the virus and has also asked for protective Facemasks and gloves for him and other inmates and the corrections officers have denied the requests.
Salgado told Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) that he has written at least five grievances concerning the current situation at the jail to no avail.
Apparently, Pod 6A is currently being designated as the quarantine cellblock and at least two suspect COVID-19 inmates are or have been in the Pod, which holds at least 48 jail inmates.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department has not confirmed or publicized that inmates, nurses, a cook and multiple corrections officers have tested positive for the virus at the jail other than one sheriff deputy and a jail store worker who have been tested positive for the virus.
Also on Wednesday, the Milwaukee County House of Corrections (HOC) Superintendent Michael Hafemann confirmed that 7 inmates tested positive for COVID-19 and two were hospitalized, also 4 HOC staff members tested positive and 21 employees are self-isolating at home. The first COVID-19 case at the HOC was reported in March, according to Hafemann.
On April 9, Faithe Colas, the Director of Public Affairs & Community Engagement Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office released the following statement, "Be advised that no inmates in custody in the Milwaukee County Jail have tested positive for COVID-19. Additionally, no correctional officers employed at the jail have tested positive for the virus. A deputy sheriff, a stores clerk, and a contracted nurse have each tested positive and internal contact tracing has been conducted to identify possible exposures..."
Update (4/8/2020): Milwaukee County jail inmate Javier Salgado who is being held for misdemeanor charges says, that Milwaukee County Corrections Officer Ward confirmed that 6 corrections officers have tested positive for COVID-19, 6 nurses at the jail as well and a cook who were all sent home.
Also, the Milwaukee County jail booking room was shutdown for sanitation. Ward also told Salgado, that at least 8 inmates and several corrections officers have tested positive for the virus at the Milwaukee County House of Corrections in Franklin. Salgado said, that about a week ago, a doctor spoke to the inmates in a Pod that everyone could become infected and that some inmates would not survive. Salgado has requested testing for the virus and has also asked for protective Facemasks and gloves for him and other inmates and the corrections officers have denied the requests.
Salgado told Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) that he has written at least five grievances concerning the current situation at the jail to no avail.
Apparently, Pod 6A is currently being designated as the quarantine cellblock and at least two suspect COVID-19 inmates are or have been in the Pod, which holds at least 48 jail inmates.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department has not confirmed or publicized that inmates, nurses, a cook and multiple corrections officers have tested positive for the virus at the jail other than one sheriff deputy and a jail store worker who have been tested positive for the virus.
Also on Wednesday, the Milwaukee County House of Corrections (HOC) Superintendent Michael Hafemann confirmed that 7 inmates tested positive for COVID-19 and two were hospitalized, also 4 HOC staff members tested positive and 21 employees are self-isolating at home. The first COVID-19 case at the HOC was reported in March, according to Hafemann.
On April 9, Faithe Colas, the Director of Public Affairs & Community Engagement Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office released the following statement, "Be advised that no inmates in custody in the Milwaukee County Jail have tested positive for COVID-19. Additionally, no correctional officers employed at the jail have tested positive for the virus. A deputy sheriff, a stores clerk, and a contracted nurse have each tested positive and internal contact tracing has been conducted to identify possible exposures..."
No comments:
Post a Comment