COVID-19 ripped through Maryland’s prisons and jails during the past year, and the danger continues.

Ryan King of the Justice Policy Institute calls for proactive testing and ramped-up vaccination. And he highlights the issue of vaccine hesitancy among those behind bars.

Read the op-ed coauthored by King and Hopkins epidemiologist Dr. Chris Beyrer here.

Then, Baltimore City public defender Todd Oppenheim describes how the pandemic delayed trials and bail hearings, leaving his clients to languish in detention.

Oppenheim's recent opinion pieces:
I'm a public defender. My elderly client might die in prison from COVID-19
Amid a pandemic, defendants are languishing in jail for lack of home detention funding
What It’s Like to Be a Public Defender Right Now

COVID-19 ripped through Maryland&rsquo;s prisons and jails during the past year, and the danger continues.
Ryan King&nbsp;of the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.justicepolicy.org/index.html">Justice Policy Institute</a>&nbsp;calls for proactive testing and ramped-up vaccination. And he highlights the issue of vaccine hesitancy among those behind bars.
Read the op-ed coauthored by King and Hopkins epidemiologist Dr. Chris Beyrer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/op-ed/bs-ed-op-0222-crw-prison-covid-testing-20210222-wxqhnfky4reyvdat4mjsyzbpii-story.html">here</a>.
Then, Baltimore City public defender&nbsp;Todd Oppenheim&nbsp;describes how the pandemic delayed trials and bail hearings, leaving his clients to languish in detention.
Oppenheim's recent opinion pieces: <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/12/23/best-of-2020-im-a-public-defender-my-elderly-client-might-die-in-prison-from-covid-19/">I'm a public defender. My elderly client might die in prison from COVID-19</a> <a href="https://www.baltimorebrew.com/2021/01/29/amid-a-pandemic-defendants-are-languishing-in-jail-for-lack-of-home-detention-funding/">Amid a pandemic, defendants are languishing in jail for lack of home detention funding</a> <a href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/03/baltimore-public-defender-during-coronavirus.html">What It&rsquo;s Like to Be a Public Defender Right Now</a>

Catch On the Record, hosted by Sheilah Kast, weekdays from 9:30 to 10:00 am, following NPR's Morning Edition. We'll discuss the issues that affect your life and bring you thoughtful and lively conversations with the people who shape those issues -- business people, public officials, scholars, artists, authors, WYPR reporters and other journalists who can take us inside the story. If you want to share a comment, question, or an idea for an interview you?d like to hear, email us at ontherecord@wypr.org

Catch On the Record, hosted by Sheilah Kast, weekdays from 9:30 to 10:00 am, following NPR's Morning Edition. We'll discuss the issues that affect your life and bring you thoughtful and lively conversations with the people who shape those issues -- business people, public officials, scholars, artists, authors, WYPR reporters and other journalists who can take us inside the story. If you want to share a comment, question, or an idea for an interview you?d like to hear, email us at <a href="mailto:ontherecord@wypr.org" target="_blank">ontherecord@wypr.org</a>

On The Record

Catch On the Record, hosted by Sheilah Kast, weekdays from 9:30 to 10:00 am, following NPR's Morning Edition. We'll discuss the issues that affect your life and bring you thoughtful and lively conversations with the people who shape those issues -- business people, public officials, scholars, artists, authors, WYPR reporters and other journalists who can take us inside the story. If you want to share a comment, question, or an idea for an interview you'd like to hear, email us at ontherecord@wypr.org

Catch On the Record, hosted by Sheilah Kast, weekdays from 9:30 to 10:00 am, following NPR's Morning Edition. We'll discuss the issues that affect your life and bring you thoughtful and lively conversations with the people who shape those issues -- business people, public officials, scholars, artists, authors, WYPR reporters and other journalists who can take us inside the story. If you want to share a comment, question, or an idea for an interview you'd like to hear, email us at <a href="mailto:ontherecord@wypr.org">ontherecord@wypr.org</a>

Advertisement