SPIKE THERE.
>>
>> DEAR MOM, WE ARE LOCKED DOWN
AGAIN.
>> Reporter: FOR THIS MARYLAND
MOTHER, THIS IS AS CLOSE AS SHE
CAN GET TO HER SON.
>> APPARENTLY HAD 30 OR SO
POSITIVE CASES.
>> Reporter: A HANDWRITTEN
LETTER FROM BEHIND BARS WHERE
LETTER FROM BEHIND BARS WHERE
HE’S SERVING TIME FOR A SHOOTING
IN PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY.
>> IT IS NO COINCIDENCE THERE
ARE ALL THESE CASES.
>> Reporter: WE’RE CONCEALING
THEIR IDENTITIES BECAUSE INMATES
ARE WORRIED ABOUT POSSIBLE
RETALIATION FOR SPEAKING OUT
ABOUT A SURGE IN COVID-19 CASES
AT JESSUP CORRECTIONAL
INSTITUTION, MARYLAND’S LARGEST
PRISON.
>> I AM WORRIED.
>> Reporter: LEAVING THIS MOM
WORRIED WHAT MORE CAN BE DONE.
>> IT’S THE HARDEST THING I’VE
EVER LIVED THROUGH.
>> Reporter: A DIFFERENT
SUFFERING ON THE INSIDE SAYS
FORMER INMATE ALONSO TURNER BAY.
>> I FEAR MORE FOR MY LIFE SINCE
THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR SINCE
I WAS RELEASED THAN EVER IN MY
INCARCERATION.
>> Reporter: ARE YOU SCARED, ARE
YOU WORRIED?
>> I WAS PETRIFIED.
>> Reporter: HE JUST MISSED THE
RECENT SURGE.
>> I BELIEVE IF I HAD COVID IN
PRISON I WOULD HAVE DIED BECAUSE
I’M ASTHMATIC.
>> Reporter: HE WAS RELEASED IN
OCTOBER AFTER SERVING 31 YEARS
FOR A HOMICIDE WHEN HE WAS A
TEEN.
YOU COULD SEE OTHER INMATES WERE
CLEARLY SYMPTOMATIC?
>> YES.
>> Reporter: YOU COULD HEAR IT?
>> YOU COULD HEAR THEM COUGHING,
THEY’RE SICK.
>> Reporter: PRISONS NATIONWIDE
HAVE SUFFERED COVID-19 OUTBREAKS
THIS YEAR, BUT THIS NEW WAVE IS
HAMMERING MANY MARYLAND
FACILITIES.
AND NOT JUST JESSUP AND ANNE
ARUNDEL COUNTY.
THE I-TEAM WANTED TO KNOW WHY
CASES ARE RISING SO QUICKLY.
CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS AND
INMATES AND RELATIVES OF THOSE
INCARCERATED, WE FIND SOMETHING
DID HAPPEN HERE A MONTH AGO.
>> IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A
COMPLETE SHUTDOWN.
>> Reporter: HE IS A UNION
LEADER FOR CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS
AND HE WORKS AT JESSUP.
HE SAYS IN LATE OCTOBER PRISON
ADMINISTRATORS ORDERED A
COMPLETE SEARCH FOR CONTRABAND
INSIDE THE PRISON.
>> WE TOUCH THE INMATE.
WE PAT THEM DOWN.
WE CHECK THEIR LAUNDRY BAGS.
>> Reporter: MULTIPLE INMATES
TELL THE NEWS 4 I-TEAM THE
SECURITY SWEEP REQUIRED OFFICERS
FROM OTHER PRISONS TO COME
INSIDE.
THE STATE DIVISION OF
CORRECTIONS DECLINED AN
INTERVIEW TO TALK ABOUT THE
SURGE OR THE NEW OUTBREAK, BUT
DID SAY THE DEPARTMENT HAS DONE
EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO SLOW THE
SPREAD OF THE VIRUS WHILE AT THE
SAME TIME KEEPING CONTRABAND OUT
OF THE FACILITIES.
OUR COVID PLAN HAS BEEN THOROUGH
AND OUR EFFORTS TO KEEP AHEAD OF
AND OUR EFFORTS TO KEEP AHEAD OF
THE VIRUS EXHAUSTIVE.
THE AGENCY ALSO BELIEVES THIS
FOOTAGE OF CLEANING INSIDE
JESSUP THIS MONTH.
>> WHY DID THEY DO THE SHAKE
DOWN?
TO ME THAT’S INVITING TROUBLE
INTO THE PRISON.
>> Reporter: THE PRISON REPORT
SHOWS CASES HAVE EXPLODED INSIDE
SEVERAL STATE PRISONS.
UP 50% IN JESSUP SINCE OCTOBER,
AND EVEN FASTER SPREAD AT
PRISONS IN WESTERN MARYLAND AND
PRISONS IN WESTERN MARYLAND AND
THE EASTERN SHORE.
WHETHER OR NOT IT’S CONNECTED TO
THE SEARCH IN JESSUP, THE
SEARCHES ARE RENEWING DEBATE
WHETHER PERSONAL PROTECTIVE
EQUIPMENT INSIDE THE FACILITIES.
TURNER BAY FILED A COMPLAINT
JUST BEFORE HIS RELEASE ASKING
FOR GLOVES, FACE SHIELDS AND
BETTER MASKS.
>> WE WERE GIVEN ONE OF THESE
WITH KHAKI MATERIAL.
THE LAST ONE WAS REAL CHEAP.
>> Reporter: THE UNION IS ASKING
THE STATE TO DISTRIBUTE MORE
P.P.E. AND PROVIDE HAZARD PAY.
MARYLAND’S GOVERNOR HAS LOBBIED
MARYLAND’S GOVERNOR HAS LOBBIED
CONGRESS FOR MORE EMERGENCY AID.
TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
INCLUDING FOR SUPPLIES TO BETTER
PROTECT AGAINST THE VIRUS, WITH
MORE THAN 3100 OFFICERS AND
INMATES TESTING POSITIVE IN AT
INMATES TESTING POSITIVE IN AT
LEAST 16 DEATHS REPORTED AS OF
DECEMBER, FEARS ARE RISING.
>> JESSUP HAS LOST PEOPLE.
PEOPLE HAVE DIED.
>> YES, THAT IS CORRECT.
>> Reporter: LEAVING THOSE ON
THE INSIDE AND THE OUTSIDE TO
THE INSIDE AND THE OUTSIDE TO
WORRY.
>> EVERYBODY EXPECTS THEM TO
WAKE UP EVERY DAY AND NOT BE
WORRIED SICK THAT THEY’RE GOING
TO GET THIS VIRUS.
>> Reporter: AND THAT A PANDEMIC
THAT’S BROKEN INTO EVEN SOME OF
THE MOST SECURED AREAS.
SCOTT MacFARLANE, NEWS 4 I-TEAM.
>> THE DIVISION OF CORRECTIONS
>> THE DIVISION OF CORRECTIONS
SAYS AS EARLY AS NOVEMBER,
MARYLAND RANKED 40th AMONG THE
STATES IN COVID CASES PER 10,000
INMATES.
FOR MORE ON THIS STORY,
INCLUDING THE JOURNEY OF THAT
FORMER INMATE THAT SCOTT WAS
FORMER INMATE THAT SCOTT WAS
TALKING TO THERE WHO WAS