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 class action lawsuit 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 preliminary injunction, 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 state data, the coronavirus has spread among prisons and jails, with over 400 inmates testing positive across multiple facilities.
Read the order here:
