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Seagull flying over fence with barbwire mesh at sunset
Lisa Valder
Overview
Historically, the roughly 3,000 local jails operating in the United States have received less public and policymaker attention than prisons.
1 But now, the COVID-19 pandemic has put jails secure correctional facilities, generally operated by county or municipal governments, where people are detained before trial or confined post-conviction for periods usually lasting less than a year under additional scrutiny.
2 Jails rely on close confinement and so are high risk for disease transmission.
3 Local governments are also confronting the budget implications of the pandemic and looking for potential savings, especially in costly areas such as corrections.