NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) –The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) says they are doing everything they can to make sure that there is no COVID-19 outbreak inside the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center, but relatives of inmates feel that more needs to be done.
Six inmates have already tested positive for COVID-19, as well as one Detention Center Officer.
Jackie Newman’s son has been at the Al Cannon Detention Center for over two years, and while he has never been sick during his time there, his mother worries that amid a potential COVID-19 outbreak, he could be more vulnerable.
“I want to know that they are definitely doing what they are saying they are doing which is sanitizing the facility. Making sure everything is safe and clean and that he is going to be safe.”
JACKIE NEWMAN
New preventative measures were announced at a press conference on Friday, like taking temperatures of both inmates and officers, and screening inmates with questions at the time of booking. Sheriff Al Cannon emphasized that the facilities where sick inmates lived have been thoroughly cleaned:
“The housing unit that they were originally in has been disinfected.”
SHERIFF AL CANNON
Meanwhile, Newman is hoping for more communication and transparency.
“Like I say, when I hear something, when I watch it on the news at night, I go into complete panic mode because I have really had no communication from the facility whatsoever.”
JACKIE NEWMAN
Officers tell us that they will have the ability to do in-house COVID-19 testing by next week.
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