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Jails' flu response swift

Extra cleaning is key to combating disease

Lt. Nick Fisher of the Butler County Sheriff’s Office fills a container with a Clorox cleaning solution Thursday, Nov. 5, at the county jail in Hamilton. The jail’s common areas are wiped down every day as a precaution in the H1N1 flu pandemic.

Staff photo by Nick Daggy Lt. Nick Fisher of the Butler County Sheriff’s Office fills a container with a Clorox cleaning solution Thursday, Nov. 5, at the county jail in Hamilton. The jail’s common areas are wiped down every day as a precaution in the H1N1 flu pandemic.

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By Lauren Pack, Staff Writer 1:05 AM Sunday, November 8, 2009

HAMILTON — The flu, whether called H1N1 or swine, has people globally wearing masks, standing in line for hours to be immunized, keeping kids home from school and rethinking attendance at favorite events where large crowds are involved.

So how is the flu outbreak affecting life behind bars in area jails? There’s a whole lot of cleaning going on.

“Wash those hands,” said Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones. “We are telling everyone to do it.”

In a large “community” of inmates, corrections officers, visitors and support employees under one roof, Jones knows the potential for an outbreak at his jail is possible. The staff has begun increased medical screening and disinfecting measures to combat against any outbreak.

“Really, we have not had an issue with it here (the jail), so far,” Jones said. But he noted the jail, with a population of 888 on Thursday, Nov. 5, houses prisoners from across the county, so fighting communicable diseases is always a priority.

Capt. Katie McMahon, jail warden, said the facility sometimes deals with people who don’t have the best hygiene to begin with, so that carries over to the jail when they are incarcerated.

As part of an official pandemic emergency policy, McMahon said, “cleaning of the common areas have been stepped up.”

Areas are cleaned daily with a bleach solution and additional cleanings have been implemented on the weekends, she said. One inmate at Butler County did have a confirmed case of H1N1, McMahon said, but that person was quickly moved from the facility.

Cleaning began around the clock, every four hours, about three weeks ago in the Warren County Jail after an inmate there became sick with a confirmed case of H1N1 flu, said Deputy Chief John Newsom.

“We watched to see if there were any more cases; that didn’t happen this time,” Newsom said, noting the prisoner was isolated swiftly and two pregnant prisoners were immunized immediately. “This time it looks like we dodged a bullet.”

Jails monitoring inmates’ health

Last week, there were no prisoners in the medical section of the Butler County Jail, but three cells were ready for business. On desks and counters throughout the facility, big bottles of hand sanitizer were scattered everywhere.

In September, a pandemic emergency policy was adopted in the jail compound to assure swift action if a breakout of the H1N1 virus occurred.

The plan also addresses preventative measures, including stepped-up disinfecting, more hand-washing and increased screening of inmates coming into the facility with flulike symptoms.

Anyone with symptoms is given a mask, taken to the medical unit and seen by a doctor, said Capt. Katie McMahon, warden.

Inmates have access to plenty of soap and water and are being encouraged to wash often. But for security reasons, inmates have not been given hand sanitizer.

“They would drink it,” McMahon said. “And who knows what else with it.”

Carla Estep, jail medical supervisor, said there has been an increase in inmates seeking medical services and all are accommodated.

Supervisors in both the Butler County and Warren County jails say their facilities have potential for the spread of infectious disease, flu or otherwise, because of the constant change in population and the flood of daily visitors.

“We are an enclosed facility, but people come and go a lot,” said Warren County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy John Newsom.

There is a potential for an outbreak starting in the jail and spreading back into the community, he added. “(H1N1) is a serious concern for us.”

When the Warren County Jail confirmed a prisoner with H1N1, Newsom said corrections officers were then considered in the high-risk category and offered immunizations.

The Middletown City Jail, which houses about 70 short-term prisoners from Middletown, Trenton and parts of surrounding townships, has not reported any increase in flu symptoms, according to Major Mark Hoffman.

He said the medical staff is on alert for anyone displaying any type of respiratory distress.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2168 or lpack@coxohio.com.

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If Sherriff Jones is so concerned about the H1N1, why hasn't he offered the H1N1 shot to any of the people that work in the jail? He's just concerned with the next election, not anyone else's life. Obviously.

Sherriff's a Politician
10:23 AM, 11/9/2009

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They are people too, like it or not. Granted there are some people in there who are a waste of air and space but not everyone is the same.
We are not animals people.
Just my opinion. I would make some changes so that if a child molester or rapist was in jail they would be castrated, and that problem would end. Since most studies say they are that way for life., they will never stop so why let them out again ? To rape or molest or kill someone?
We need to change our laws on these people.

piggieflu
6:28 AM, 11/9/2009

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What Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones. did was good.It only implies safety to those people in jail to prevent swine flu.
Regards,
http://www.mantisgardentiller.com

Mantis Tillers
1:45 AM, 11/9/2009

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are you kidding me with this? Drinking hand sanitizer? Do you think they are all that stupid? Sure they are in prison for something they committed (that also may be disputed!) but ASSUMING that they will drink hand sanitizer is a low blow. I would imagine a public servant like Capt McMahon would use a little more tact when making public comments.

are you kidding
11:08 PM, 11/8/2009

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Some of the comments to this article are are given with little thought and a lot of callousness. True there are some highly undesireable prisoners in the jail, and some we hope never become free, but I would like to think that some have made errors in life that are correctable and that they again will become productive citizens. In any event, we don't hardly want them to rejoin society with H1N1, do we? Also, what about the jail personnel? Try thinking, it won't hurt long.

Slightly Right
5:54 PM, 11/8/2009

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