Friday, August 7, 2020

Offender in State Prison Custody Dies of COVID-19

Raleigh
Aug 7, 2020

An offender housed at Caldwell Correctional Center who tested positive for COVID-19 has died at the hospital as a result of pre-existing conditions complicated by COVID-19.

“His death is saddening, and we are continuing our efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in our prisons,” said Todd Ishee, Commissioner of Prisons. “The health and safety of the staff and the offenders in our custody remains our top priority.”

The offender tested negative for the virus on July 14, 2020 but subsequently developed symptoms. He tested positive when he was hospitalized on July 31, 2020. His condition worsened, and the offender died at the hospital at 5:03 p.m. on Aug. 6, 2020.

The offender was a male in his early sixties who had underlying health conditions. Given his family’s right to privacy and the confidentiality of prison offender records, the Department of Public Safety will not further identify the individual. 

Prisons leadership has taken more than four dozen actions throughout the North Carolina prison system to try to prevent transmission of the virus. They are found here.

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