A federal judge is ordering the Weld County Sheriff to take certain actions to protect medically vulnerable inmates from COVID-19.
In April, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a on behalf of seven inmates in the Weld County Jail, alleging that Sheriff Steve Reams had not done enough to protect offenders with underlying medical conditions. Now, the judge has granted a , ordering the sheriff to identify inmates with underlying medical conditions, like severe obesity or asthma, and then house them in their own cell, among other measures.
In a statement, Sheriff Reams said that in response to the order, his staff is collecting that information. Then, he will make a decision about future jail operations.
As of Tuesday, 12 inmates in the Weld County Jail had tested positive for COVID-19, along with 18 jail deputies.
According to , the coronavirus has spread among prisons and jails, with over 400 inmates testing positive across multiple facilities.
Read the order here:
