When Might Any Florida Inmate Receive A COVID-19 Vaccine?
By Lyric Lighty
February 16, 2021
Thomas Chambers doesn’t want to die in prison.
He’s right now serving the last 19 months of a 2018 prison sentence for robbery, and until a year ago, the 55-year-old inmate didn’t consider his life might end in the Marion Correctional Institute in Ocala. But paired with his Type 2 diabetes, the increased vulnerability to the worst outcomes from COVID-19 has him worried.
Even as the number of available vaccines increases, Florida inmates are unsure if and when they will have the opportunity to be vaccinated. Chambers said all at-risk individuals should be prioritized for the vaccine whether they’re in prison or the free world. That’s a pipe dream for now, according to information from prison officials and activists.
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The League of Women Voters of Tallahassee February 2021 Hot Topic
Mark your calendars for a compelling discussion on the state of criminal justice reform in Florida. We will be approaching this topic with thought leaders and experts from the three parts of our criminal justice system: law enforcement, courts, and corrections.
Hot Topic:
When:
LWVT Hot Topic Hostess Katie Bohnett, State Organizer and lobbyist for REFORM Alliance and League of Women Voters Tallahassee Board Member
Moderator: Trimmel Gomes, President, Gomes Media Strategies
Panelists:
Jessica J. Yeary, B.C.S., Public Defender, Second Judicial Circuit
James Baiardi, Vice President for Services, Florida Police Benevolent Association