MARISSA
TEST.
WPT TEST.
WOIK WOIK.
.
>> WELCOME TO "NOON WEDNESDAY."
I'M MARISA WOYCHIK.
TODAY IS JANUARY 27TH.
ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF
CORRECTIONS THERE ARE 10,745
INMATES THAT HAVE TESTED
POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 SINCE THE
START OF THE PANDEMIC.
JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT
COVID-19 IN WISCONSIN'S PRISON
IS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
SECRETARY KEVIN CARR AND WE
REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR
TAKING THE TIME AND JOINING US
TODAY.
I FIRST WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT
THIS CUMULATIVE TOTAL.
WISCONSIN HAS ABOUT 20,000
INMATES TOTAL, SO A LITTLE MORE
THAN HALF OF THE PRISON
POPULATION HAS TESTED POSITIVE
FOR COVID-19.
IS THAT ALARMING TO YOU?
>> FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR
HAVING ME ON TODAY, AND MY
ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS OF
COURSE.
OVER HALF OF OUR PERSONS IN OUR
CARE HAVING TESTED POSITIVE FOR
COVID-19 IS CERTAINLY A CONCERN
FOR OUR AGENCY AND OUR
ADMINISTRATION BUT I WOULD POINT
OUT THAT AT THE HEIGHT OF THE
PANDEMIC AT LEAST HERE IN
WISCONSIN IN NOVEMBER OF 2020,
THERE WAS A PARTICULAR POINT IN
TIME WHEN WE HAD ALMOST 2500
FOLKS IN OUR CARE WHO WERE
POSITIVE AT ONE TIME.
AS OF YESTERDAY, IT WAS 151,
WHICH REPRESENTS 93% DECREASE.
NOW, IF YOU LOOK AT HOW WE ARE
DOING COMPARED TO OTHER STATES
IN THE MIDWEST, THE PERCENTAGE
OF OUR POPULATION THAT ARE
CURRENTLY POSITIVE WITH COVID-19
IS .07%.
.7% TO BE ACCURATE.
THAT'S LOWER THAN MICHIGAN,
MINNESOTA, IOWA AND ILLINOIS.
SO I BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE
STAFF AT THE DEPARTMENT OF
CORRECTIONS HAS DONE A
TREMENDOUS JOB MANAGING THIS
PANDEMIC UNDER THE CONDITIONS
THAT WE HAVE HAD TO ENDURE.
>> AND THERE HAS BEEN TIMES WHEN
WISCONSIN HAS EXCEEDED SOME OF
THOSE OTHER STATES, AND I WANTED
TO ASK YOU ABOUT THAT DECREASE.
AS YOU SAID, IT'S AN OVER 90%
DECREASE IN CASES FROM LATE
NOVEMBER, THAT IS A SIZEABLE
AMOUNT.
BUT WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF THAT
DECREASE?
IS IT BECAUSE WISCONSIN'S
GENERAL TREND IS GOING DOWN AS
WELL, OR IS IT ATTRIBUTABLE TO
SOMETHING ELSE?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE
IT'S ATTRIBUTABLE TO A NUMBER OF
FACTORS.
AS THE RATE OF COMMUNITY SPREAD
HAS DECREASED AROUND THE STATE,
IT HAS ALSO DECREASED IN OUR
FACILITIES.
OUR FACILITIES ARE INTEGRAL
PARTS OF THE COMMUNITIES WHERE
THEY ARE LOCATED.
SO WHAT HAPPENS OUTSIDE OF OUR
FACILITIES ULTIMATELY ENDS UP
HAPPENING INSIDE.
SO THOSE TWO THINGS SEEM TO BE
MOVING IN TANDEM AND THAT'S WHAT
I'VE SEEN DURING THE DURATION OF
THIS PANDEMIC.
ALSO THE MITIGATION STRATEGIES
THAT WE EMPLOY, THE INCREASED
TESTING OF OUR STAFF.
IN NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR WE
STARTED TESTING ALL OF OUR STAFF
WORKING IN OUR FACILITIES EVERY
OTHER WEEK FOR COVID-19.
ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE LIMITED
SOME OF OUR TRANSPORTATION
BETWEEN FACILITIES AND LIMITED
THE NUMBER OF ADMISSIONS FROM
LOCAL COUNTY JAILS TO OUR
SYSTEM.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS COMBINED, I
THINK, HAVE HAD A POSITIVE
EFFECT ON DRIVING DOWN THE RATE
OF POSITIVITY IN OUR SYSTEM.
>> AS YOU SAID, YOU ARE TESTING
EMPLOYEES EVERY OTHER WEEK SINCE
NOVEMBER.
BY NOVEMBER, THOUGH, CASES WERE
REACHING AN ALL-TIME HIGH.
DO YOU WISH YOU HAD STARTED
DOING MORE REGULAR TESTING OF
EMPLOYEES SOONER?
>> OF COURSE I WISH THAT WE
COULD HAVE DONE MORE TESTING ALL
ALONG BUT I THINK WE DID
ADEQUATE TESTING AND THE TESTING
ALONE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
DECREASE.
AS I SAID EARLIER, I THINK THE
MORE IMPORTANT FACTOR IS THE
OVERALL RATE OF COMMUNITY
SPREAD.
WHEN OUR NUMBERS WENT UP IN
NOVEMBER, WHAT WAS GOING ON IN
THE STATE OF WISCONSIN AT THAT
TIME?
THAT'S WHEN WE HAD THE HIGHEST
RATE OF HOSPITALIZATIONS,
DEATHS, AND POSITIVE RATES OF
PERSONS POSITIVE IN THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN.
SO AS THOSE NUMBERS WENT UP, SO
DID OUR POSITIVITY RATES IN OUR
FACILITIES.
I DON'T THINK IT HAD ANYTHING TO
DO WITH TESTING.
>> AND WHEN AN INMATE TESTS
POSITIVE, WHAT HAPPENS FROM THAT
MOMENT ON?
>> WELL, ONCE THEY TEST POSITIVE
FOR COVID-19, THEY ARE ISOLATED
AND THEN THEY ARE GIVEN PROPER
MEDICAL TREATMENT UNTIL THE
DISEASE HAS RUN ITS COURSE.
>> AND WHEN THEY ARE ISOLATED,
ARE THEY -- ARE THE PEOPLE THAT
THEY CAME INTO CONTACT WITH
ISOLATED AS WELL AS IT MIGHT BE
LIKELY THAT THEY HAD THE DISEASE
TRANSMITTED TO THEM?
>> IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION
CORRECTLY, FOLKS ARE PUT OH--
FIRST OF ALL, EXPLAIN IT THIS
WAY.
A PERSON MAY DISPLAY SYMPTOMS
WITH COVID-19 AND THEN THEY ARE
QUARANTINED AND TESTED AND THEN
ONCE THEY ARE DETERMINED TO BE
POSITIVE FOR CERTAIN, THEN THEY
ARE ISOLATED ALONG WITH OTHER
FOLKS WHO HAVE ALSO TESTED
POSITIVE FOR COVID-19.
SO YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY A
TWO-STEP PROCESS.
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE SOMETIMES
PEOPLE CAN EXHIBIT SYMPTOMS THAT
ARE CONSISTENT WITH COVID-19 BUT
IS NOT WHAT THEIR ISSUE IS.
SO UNTIL IT'S DETERMINED THAT
THEY ARE POSITIVE, THEN THEY ARE
ISOLATED.
>> MANY PEOPLE WHO CONTRACT
COVID-19 ARE ASYMPTOMATIC.
IS THERE A PROCESS OF CONTACT
TRACING, SO IF I WAS IN -- IF I
WAS AN INMATE AND IN A CELL WITH
SOMEONE WHO TESTED POSITIVE, AM
I AUTOMATICALLY QUARANTINED TO
MITIGATE AN OUTBREAK FROM
RAPIDLY SPREADING?
>> YES, AND IN FACT, I'M GLAD
YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION BECAUSE
YOU KNOW, WE DO CONTACT TRACING
WHENEVER WE DETERMINE THAT THERE
MAY BE AN OUTBREAK OF COVID-19
IN OUR FACILITIES.
IF AN INDIVIDUAL TESTS POSITIVE,
OFTEN TIMES BASED ON THE NUMBER
OF FOLKS WHO ARE TESTING
POSITIVE AND THE INDIVIDUAL
CONDITIONS AT THE FACILITY, WE
MAY DETERMINE THAT A PERSON CAN
BE QUARANTINED IN PLACE OR WE
MAY HAVE TO QUARANTINE AN ENTIRE
LIVING UNIT BECAUSE THERE'S A
PRESUMPTION THAT IF YOU ARE, YOU
KNOW, SOMEONE IS POSITIVE, THAT
OTHER PEOPLE HAVE BEEN EXPOSED
AND THEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN
EXPOSED, WE HAVE TO QUARANTINE
THEM, TEST THEM, AND THEN
DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT ANY OF
THEM ARE POSITIVE FOR COVID-19
AND REQUIRE ISOLATION.
>> AND FOR EMPLOYEES, IS THERE
ANY RISK OF AN EMPLOYEE
MITIGATING HOW THEY ARE
PRESENTING THEIR SYMPTOMS.
IF THEY WANT TO MAYBE NOT BE
TAKEN OFF OF WORK, IS THERE PAID
LEAVE FOR EMPLOYEES THAT TEST
POSITIVE FOR COVID-19?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK
YOU ASKED TWO QUESTIONS, WHETHER
THERE ARE WAYS PEOPLE COULD
MITIGATE -- I MEAN, TECHNICALLY
HIDE THEIR SYMPTOMS TO THEY
DON'T HAVE TO TAKE OFF FROM WORK
OR BE SENT HOME FROM WORK.
THAT'S A DIFFICULT QUESTION TO
ANSWER.
WE DO SCREENING OF EVERY
EMPLOYEE THAT COMES INTO THE
BUILDING AT THE START OF THEIR
SHIFT, WE TAKE THEIR
TEMPERATURES, WE ASK THEM A
SERIES OF QUESTIONS TO DETERMINE
WHETHER THEY HAVE ANY SIGNS OF
BEING POSITIVE FOR COVID-19.
AND THEN ONCE A PERSON IS ON THE
WORK SITE, OF COURSE THEY ARE
MONITORED AS NORMALLY THEY WOULD
BE BY THEIR SUPERVISORS AND IF
THEY DISPLAYED ANY SYMPTOMS THAT
WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH
COVID-19 WE WOULD TAKE
APPROPRIATE ACTION.
FOLKS DO HAVE THE ABILITY, THEY
DID HAVE THE ABILITY UNTIL THE
CARES ACT FUNDING RAN OUT TO BE
PAID TO, FOR COVID-RELATED
ABSENCES.
SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR
OUR EMPLOYEES STILL CAN BE PAID
BUT THEY HAVE TO USE THEIR OWN
TIME IN ORDER TO BE OFF SICK
WITH COVID-19.
I MEAN, THEY USE THEIR OWN SICK
BENEFITS IS WHAT IT BOILS DOWN
TO.
>> IS THERE ANY CHANCE OF THAT
BEING EXTENDED WITH FUTURE
FEDERAL DOLLARS?
>> WELL, WE WOULD HOPE TO.
OF COURSE YOU AND YOUR LISTENERS
OR VIEWERS MAY KNOW THAT
CURRENTLY AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL
THERE'S A $1.9 TRILLION COVID
RELIEF PACKAGE THAT'S CURRENTLY
BEING DISCUSSED AT THE FEDERAL
LEVEL AND WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT
THERE'S MONEY IN THAT PACKAGE
FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
TO MITIGATE THE EXPENSES THAT
THEY INCUR IN DEALING WITH THE
PANDEMIC.
>> AS YOU MENTIONED, THERE'S NOW
ONLY 151 CURRENT ACTIVE POSITIVE
CASES.
BUT 104 OF THOSE POSITIVES ARE
AT ONE FACILITY, THE RACINE
YOUTHFUL OFFENDER CORRECTIONAL
FACILITY.
IS THERE SOMETHING DIFFERENT
THAT HAPPENS AT A FACILITY WHEN
THERE'S A HIGHER NUMBER OF CASES
IN A POTENTIAL OUTBREAK
HAPPENING?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
IN FACT, I HATE TO DESCRIBE IT
AS A GOOD THING BECAUSE NOBODY
HAVING COVID-19 CAN BE DESCRIBED
AS A GOOD THING.
BUT WHAT THAT REPRESENTS IS THAT
WE HAVE DONE -- WE HAVE A
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL
GUARD TO DO OUTBREAK TESTING
WHENEVER WE DETERMINE THAT THERE
IS AN OUTBREAK OCCURRING AT A
PARTICULAR FACILITY AND THEN WE
HAVE REGULARLY-SCHEDULED MASS
TESTING.
THE TEST RESULTS THAT YOU ARE
REFERRING TO ARE A DIRECT
RESULTS OF PLANNED SCHEDULED
MASS TESTING.
MOST OF THOSE ARE ASYMPTOMATIC
POSITIVE THAT FOLKS ARE WALKING
AROUND, DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THEY
HAD.
BUT, WHAT DOES THAT TELL US?
IT HELPS US MITIGATE THE SPREAD
OF THE VIRUS AND KEEP IT UNDER
CONTROL BECAUSE WE HAVE DONE
SOMETHING PROACTIVE TO TRY TO
IDENTIFY PEOPLE WHO HAVE
COVID-19 IN OUR FACILITIES.
>> AND WHEN YOU SAY IT WAS
PLANNED MASS TESTING, HOW OFTEN
IS THAT AND IS IT POSSIBLE TO
TEST INMATES MORE OFTEN TO SEE
IF THAT ASYMPTOMATIC POSITIVE
TREND IS HAPPENING MORE OFTEN?
>> YEAH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A
ROUTINE SCHEDULE.
THERE IS, YOU KNOW, 2 OR 3 TEAMS
OF NATIONAL GUARD FOLKS THAT GO
AROUND THE STATE AND TEST AT
VARIOUS FACILITIES EVERY WEEK.
SO THOSE TESTS ARE DONE
ROUTINELY.
THE THING THAT WE ARE GOING TO
START IMPLEMENTING, WHICH IS NEW
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW
ABOUT IT, IS THAT WE ARE GOING
TO START AN ANTIGEN RAPID
TESTING PROGRAM WHERE WE HAVE
30,000 RAPID TESTS THAT ARE
GOING TO BE DEPLOYED VERY SOON.
WE HAVE JUST GOTTEN THE
AUTHORIZATION FOR GETTING THE
TRAINING NOW AND WE ARE GOING TO
INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF TESTING
THAT WE DO AT OUR FACILITIES
USING THOSE TYPES OF RAPID
TESTS.
>> AND SPEAKING OF YOUTH
FACILITIES, A REPORT RECENTLY
WAS PUBLISHED ABOUT LINCOLN
HILLS AND COPPER LAKE SAYING
THAT STAFF THERE ARE FEARING FOR
THEIR SAFETY AND EXHAUSTED AND
YOUTH ARE NOT FEELING RESPECTED
AND IT'S GOTTEN WORSE UNDER THE
PANDEMIC.
ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THESE
YOUTH FACILITIES AND THE
WORSENING CONDITIONS THERE?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I'M
ALWAYS CONCERNED ABOUT
EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN ALL
OF OUR FACILITIES, ESPECIALLY UP
AT LINCOLN HILLS.
BUT I, YOU KNOW, I DISAGREE WITH
THE DESCRIPTION THAT THINGS ARE
WORSENING.
OK?
IF YOU TOOK A GOOD LOOK AT THE
MONITOR'S REPORT AND READ ALL OF
IT, YOU KNOW, THOSE WHO, WHETHER
IT WAS THE ACLU OR GENERAL
SENTINEL ARTICLE, THEY FAIL TO
POINT OUT THE MANY, MANY GOOD
THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON UP
THERE AND I BELIEVE THAT SINCE
THE START OF OUR ADMINISTRATION
IN JANUARY 2019, WE HAVE MADE
TREMENDOUS PROGRESS UP AT
LINCOLN HILL.
THE MAJORITY OF THE REPORTS HAVE
BEEN GLOWING.
AND IT'S UNREALISTIC IN ANY
CONTEXT TO EXPECT THAT EVERY
SINGLE REPORT IS GOING TO BE
BETTER THAN THE LAST.
THAT'S JUST NOT HOW THE REAL
WORLD WORKS.
PROGRESS IS NOT LINEAR, IT DOES
NOT GO IN A STRAIGHT LINE, AND I
BELIEVE THAT THE TREND AND THE
DIRECTION THAT WE ARE MOVING IN
IS EXTREMELY POSITIVE AND WE
HAVE INVESTED MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS UP AT LINCOLN HILLS TO
IMPROVE THE CONDITIONS THERE.
WE HAVE CREATED MUSIC THERAPY
PROGRAMS, OUR POPULATION IS
LOWER THAN IT'S EVER BEEN DURING
THE PAST TWO YEARS, AND WE HAVE
JUST DECIDED TO IMPLEMENT A
PROGRAM CALLED THE BEHAVIOR
THERAPY, CUTTING EDGE HOW TO
MANAGE YOUTH IN THESE
FACILITIES.
THE FACT THAT WE HAVE NOT CLOSED
LINCOLN HILLS OR ON THE PATH TO
CLOSING IT RIGHT NOW HAS
EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THE FACT
THAT WHEN WE REQUESTED OF THE
JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE LAST
OCTOBER, OR OCTOBER OF 2019, TO
FUND CONSTRUCTION OF THE TWO
TYPE ONES IDENTIFIED IN ACT 85,
THE JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE
DECIDED NOT TO FUND THOSE
FACILITIES.
AND SO THEREFORE, YOU KNOW, WE
ARE MOVING FULL STEAM AHEAD TO
MAKE LINCOLN HILLS THE
ABSOLUTELY BEST FACILITY THAT IT
CAN BE.
>> YOU MENTIONED THE ACLU.
AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION
OF WISCONSIN HAS BEEN CRITICAL
OF THE STATE'S RESPONSE TO
COVID-19 IN PRISONS AND THEY
HAVE BEEN CALLING FOR
DECARCERATION, RELEASING THOSE
WHO HAVE 6 TO 12 MONTHS LEFT
BEFORE MANDATORY RELEASE, WANTS
THE GOVERNMENT TO USE CLEMENCY
POWERS.
HAVE YOU SPOKEN WITH THE
GOVERNOR ABOUT ANY OF THESE AND
ARE ANY OF THESE POSSIBLE?
WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE TO THE
ACLU?
>> WELL, MY RESPONSE TO THE ACLU
IS THAT THE TYPES OF RELEASES
AND THE NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT
THEY FEEL SHOULD BE RELEASED IN
ORDER TO MITIGATE THE PANDEMIC
IS PROBABLY NOT REALISTIC.
LET'S SAY WE HAVE 20,000 FOLKS
IN CUSTODY AND WE WANT TO
ACCOMPLISH SOCIAL DISTANCING.
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WE
WOULD HAVE TO RELEASE FROM
PRISON IN ORDER TO JUST ACHIEVE
THAT OBJECTIVE, I DON'T EVEN
KNOW WHAT IT IS, BUT I SPECULATE
THAT IT WOULD BE HALF.
YOU'VE GOT TO REMEMBER THAT OUR
FACILITIES WERE DESIGNED AND
INTENDED TO BE CONGREGATE LIVING
SETTINGS WHERE TWO PEOPLE LIVED
IN ONE CELL AND THAT DORMITORIES
WERE, YOU KNOW, USED AS ROUTINE
WAY TO HOUSE INDIVIDUALS.
THOSE TYPES OF SITUATIONS ARE
NOT CONDUCIVE TO MITIGATION
STRATEGIES UNLESS YOU HAVE AN
EXTREMELY LOW POPULATION.
SO I'VE TALKED TO THE GOVERNOR
ABOUT A NUMBER OF THESE THINGS
AND NO OPTION IS OFF THE TABLE.
THERE'S BEEN NO DECISIONS MADE
ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, BUT I CAN
CERTAINLY TELL YOU THAT WE HEAR
THE ACLU AND ADVOCATES ABOUT
REDUCING THE OVERALL PRISON
POPULATION, BUT AGAIN I WOULD
LIKE TO REMIND THOSE FOLKS AND
YOUR VIEWERS THAT WE HAVE
REDUCED OUR POPULATION IN OUR
SYSTEM BY OVER 3500 FOLKS SINCE
THE BEGINNING OF THIS PANDEMIC.
AND WE LOOK TO DO MORE.
>> KNOWING WHAT YOU DO NOW AT
THIS SIDE OF THE PANDEMIC AND WE
ARE STILL ON THE INSIDE, ARE
THERE THINGS THAT YOU WOULD HAVE
DONE DIFFERENTLY OR DO YOU SEE
THINGS DIFFERENTLY NOW IN TERMS
OF REFORMS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE
TO SEE IN WISCONSIN'S
CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES GOING
FORWARD?
>> THAT'S AN INTERESTING
QUESTION.
IT BASICALLY IS WOULD WE HAVE
DONE ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY, AND I
CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING OFF THE
TOP OF MY HEAD.
I KNOW THAT I BELIEVE THAT THE
STAFF AT THE DEPARTMENT OF
CORRECTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN
HELPING US GUIDE AND MANAGE THIS
PANDEMIC HAVE DONE A FANTASTIC
JOB IN TRYING TO ANTICIPATE
ISSUES AND COME UP WITH
SOLUTIONS TO THOSE PROBLEMS IN A
THOUGHTFUL, EFFICIENT WAY.
SO AT THIS POINT, I'M SURE THERE
IS SOMETHING, I'M JUST BEING
HONEST WITH YOU, I'M SURE THERE
IS SOMETHING THAT I WILL THINK
OF THAT I COULD HAVE DONE
DIFFERENTLY, BUT AS I SIT HERE
TODAY, I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT
THAT IS.
>> WE FOUND OUT YESTERDAY THAT
WISCONSIN'S INMATES, BECAUSE OF
THEIR CONGREGATE LIVING SETTING,
ARE SET TO BE PART OF THE 1B
PHASE OF THE COVID-19
VACCINATION PLAN.
THE TENTATIVE DATE FOR THAT TO
EVEN MAYBE START IS MARCH 1st,
BUT THAT INCLUDES EDUCATORS AND
CHILDCARE WORKERS AND FOOD
WORKERS, A LOT OF OTHER
PUBLIC-FACING ESSENTIAL WORKERS.
IS THERE ANY REASONABLE TIMELINE
AND PLAN FOR WHEN YOU MIGHT SEE
WISCONSIN'S INMATES VACCINATED?
>> SURE.
BASED ON THE ANNOUNCEMENT MADE
YESTERDAY BY THE DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH SERVICES, THOSE IN OUR
CARE WILL BE ELIGIBLE IN THE
NEXT GROUP OF FOLKS THAT ARE
ELIGIBLE FOR VACCINATION
STARTING MARCH 1.
SO EVERYTHING, IN EVERY CATEGORY
IN MY OPINION, AND IT'S BASED ON
WHAT WE HAVE BEEN TOLD, IS GOING
TO BE DRIVEN BY THE AMOUNT OF
VACCINE THAT'S AVAILABLE.
OF COURSE IF THERE'S AN ABUNDANT
AMOUNT OF VACCINE AVAILABLE, I
WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT THE FOLKS
IN OUR CARE ARE LIKELY TO BE
VACCINATED -- THE GENERAL
POPULATION OF FOLKS IN OUR CARE
WILL BE VACCINATED BY PROBABLY
THE END OF MARCH.
NOW, I'M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT
THE FOLKS IN OUR CARE WHO ARE 65
AND OVER, WE ARE PLANNING ON
STARTING TO VACCINATE THOSE
FOLKS NEXT WEEK, DEPENDING ON IF
WE GET ENOUGH VACCINES ALLOCATED
TO THE STATE FOR NEXT WEEK AND
WE HAVE REQUESTED THOSE VACCINES
BUT WE'LL SEE WHAT WE GET.
>> AS YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW,
DEMAND IS EXCEEDING SUPPLY, AND
SOME CONSERVATIVES, CONSERVATIVE
LAWMAKERS IN WISCONSIN HAVE
EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION WITH
PRISONERS BEING ON THAT
VACCINATION PRIORITY LIST.
ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT INMATES
FALLING OFF THE BOTTOM OF THAT
LIST, OR ARE YOU PRETTY
CONFIDENT THAT THAT PLAN WILL
MOVE FORWARD?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK
THEY SHOULD STAY ON THE LIST AND
I THINK THEY SHOULD BE
VACCINATED, AND IT'S IN THE BEST
INTEREST OF OUR COMMUNITIES, THE
INDIVIDUALS IN OUR CARE WHO WE
HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE
WITH THE SAME LEVEL OF MEDICAL
CARE FOR THOSE IN CUSTODY THAT
THE BROADER COMMUNITY GETS
OUTSIDE OF PRISON.
THERE'S NO QUESTION IN MY MIND
THAT THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON
CORRECTIONAL HEALTHCARE HAS
RECOMMENDED THAT PERSONS IN
PRISONS BE GIVEN THE SAME LEVEL
OF CONSIDERATION FOR VACCINATION
AS THE PERSONS THAT CARE FOR
THEM, NAMELY OUR CORRECTIONS
OFFICERS.
SO OUR CORRECTIONS OFFICERS ARE
CURRENTLY BEING VACCINATED IN
WHAT IS COMMONLY CALLED
CATEGORY 1A, AND I'M VERY
HOPEFUL THAT THE PERSONS IN OUR
CARE WILL BE -- WILL REMAIN IN
1B AND WILL BE VACCINATED AT
THAT TIME.
>> ALL RIGHT.
SECRETARY KEVIN CARR FROM THE
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, THANK
YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US
TODAY.
>> YOU ARE WELCOME, AND THANK
YOU FOR HAVING ME.
IT'S BEEN GREAT.
>> FOR MORE FROM HERE AND NOW
AND PBS WISCONSIN, VISIT
WBSWISCONSIN.ORG AND THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR JOINING US ON "NOON
WEDNESDAY."