Coronavirus Increasing at Vaughn & Baylor Prisons

Screening and testing at the Vaughn Correctional Facility in Smyrna has identified additional inmates who are positive for coronavirus – bringing the total at the prison to 45. They are from the same housing building as the cases identified last week – as well as three additional tiers in other housing units.

A positive test at Baylor, the women’s correctional facility has led to screening and testing this week, with that inmate’s housing unit placed in quarantine – 32 testing positive for the virus. Contact tracing identifies a contract behavioral healthcare professional who tested positive as the likely source of infection at Baylor – even wearing proper PPE.

Three others in the prison system have tested positive – including a work release offender from the SCCC and two cellmates at Howard R. Young. They have all been moved to the Vaughn Covid-19 Treatment Center and 31 of the women at at the Baylor Covid-19 Treatment Center. In-person visitation has been suspended statewide – as have all work release programs.