Scary coronavirus outbreak at Fort Worth federal prison hospital could affect us all

You may think that what happens inside the federal prison system’s healthcare facility in Fort Worth doesn’t affect you.

After all, those are criminals, and they’re locked up. Many are from other parts of the country. So the coronavirus outbreak raging there might be tragic for individuals and their families, but hey, that’s the chance they take by dealing drugs or otherwise breaking the law, right?

But here’s the thing: Every day, hundreds of guards, vendors and medical professionals enter the Federal Medical Center Fort Worth … and then leave. They shop in the same Costcos and Tom Thumbs that the rest of us use. So if they’re at a higher risk of catching the virus, they’re also more likely to spread it.

So, take note of the crisis happening at the facility in southeast Fort Worth. The virus is raging — 641 cases so far, nearly half of the prison population. Three staffers have tested positive for the virus as well.

It’s a cruel situation that goes far beyond the punishment to which the inmates were sentenced. As the Star-Telegram’s Kaley Johnson has reported, inmates find it nearly impossible to take simple precautions to protect themselves. They complain of a lack of sanitizer and hand soap and a layout that makes social distancing all but impossible.

Federal officials have set up tents to house the sick and plan more, but the situation is appalling. One inmate told Johnson that prison officials have warned inmates that they’re going to catch the virus, no matter what.

The prison has activated emergency plans, trying to isolate the sick and contain the virus by floors of the prison. But it’s clear those plans are inadequate, and when the pandemic subsides, the Department of Justice and, if necessary, Congress should take a hard look at what went wrong.

After all, it didn’t take much foresight to figure out that close-quartered populations, especially those who are medically vulnerable, could see rapid spread of a highly contagious new virus. Look at what’s happened in nursing homes, now thought to be the source of as many as one-third of deaths in the U.S.

There’s another reason for Tarrant County residents to pay attention, as the issue came up for debate at the county commissioners’ weekly meeting Tuesday. When inmates there or at the women’s prison facility at Carswell need hospitalization, they come to the county’s John Peter Smith Hospital. That’s a draw on county resources and takes up spaces needed for other patients.

County Judge Glen Whitley demanded information about testing among FMC Fort Worth’s staff of about 300, warning that he would ask U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, the powerful Fort Worth Republican, to put more pressure on the facility if necessary.

“I want to know when all the employees and staff have been tested, and if they say they went someplace else and got tested, just show us proof,” Whitley said.

County jails and state prisons around the country have tried to reduce their populations by releasing nonviolent criminals. At one point, Tarrant County’s inmate population was down about 20%, and the releases appear to have helped prevent a worse outbreak.

The federal system, though, appears to have been slow to expand compassionate release or home confinement, which could have helped contain the virus. No one relishes the idea of going easy on drug dealers or white-collar criminals, but there’s a way to balance health and security risks.

After all, while many of those housed at FMC Fort Worth have committed serious crimes, they were not sentenced to death. Serving their time shouldn’t mean playing roulette with their lives — and with the safety of the community around the prison.