Four more Lee State prisoners tested for COVID-19
A fourth inmate at southwest Georgia’s Lee State Prison has been admitted to the hospital for observation after complaining of flu-like symptoms, the Department of Corrections confirmed Monday.
Already three prisoners at Lee State, a 762-unit medium-level detention center, have been hospitalized after contracting COVID-19, the infectious disease caused by the coronavirus.
Ten other inmates have been quarantined after they exhibited flu-like symptoms, the DOC said in a statement. Four were tested for COVID-19 and results are pending.
Lee State is located just 14 miles from Albany, which has emerged as an unlikely epicenter of coronavirus cases in Georgia.
Last week, a DOC employee tested positive for COVID-19. Prison officials have not disclosed where that employee worked.
The state has so far resisted calls to consider releasing nonviolent or medically fragile inmates or those whose sentences are almost up. The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles has indicated it hasn’t changed the way it selects inmates for early release.
Gov. Brian Kemp does not support the push for early releases because of the virus, a spokesman said.
About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
