Visitation and inmate transfers halted as covid-19 surges through Westmoreland County Prison

Westmoreland County Prison brass on Thursday suspended inmate visits as another surge of covid-19 cases has erupted at the lockup in Hempfield.

Warden Bryan Kline said more than 100 inmates have the coronavirus and additional cases are expected once pending test results are reported. The outbreak involves about 20% of the jail’s inmate population so far, he said.

Many inmates have symptoms, but none has had to be hospitalized, Kline said.

Seven jail staff members are off work for virus-related issues, said Alexis Bevan, the county’s human resources director.

For now, inmate meetings with attorneys will be conducted by video and all other in-person visits were halted, according to the warden.

“We’re trying to make sure the inmates and staff are protected,” Kline said. “No one other than staff are coming in and out of the facility.”

Common Pleas Court President Judge Rita Hathaway ordered all inmate transports to be stopped indefinitely starting Friday, meaning no prisoners will be taken to the courthouse or district judge offices to appear at court hearings.

The jail will continue to accept new inmates, and prisoner transfers to state correction facilities are permitted, the judge said.

Court will continue operate with inmates appearing by remote conferencing from the jail, the warden said.

Kline said coronavirus infections have touched nearly all housing units in the jail.

“This is something we will have to monitor as covid is everywhere throughout the building right now,” Kline said.

Infections among inmates have spiked at times over the past two years. The current surge appeared to begin in mid-January, the warden said.

Westmoreland County has seen a substantial number of new infections in January. According to statistics from the state health department, the county recorded an all-time high in new cases on Jan. 15, when 927 infections were reported. Another 805 were confirmed on Jan. 20.

Case totals had declined over the past week, and, on Jan. 26, 451 new infections were reported in the county.