Navigating the Pandemic: A Review of the Impact of COVID-19 Outbreaks in Correctional Homes of West Bengal

The global catastrophe that people have endured, individually and collectively, since the COVID-19 epidemic was initially discovered in China's Wuhan region at the end of 2019 is well known to everyone. The Coronavirus wreaked havoc throughout the world. The WHO announced it as a pandemic on 11th March 2020. To prevent the massive spread of this virus throughout India, the government made a sudden decision, declared a lockdown on the whole country, and stopped international flights and other passenger transport communication throughout India. The government announced the first lockdown for 21 days from 25th March to 14th April 2020, and later, it was periodically increased. During the lockdown period, migrant laborers were getting jobless and had to return to their villages. For this reason, the virus had taken a new wave and spread among the villagers. The COVID-19 pandemic has spread rapidly in correctional homes across India, including West Bengal and Maharashtra. To prevent the spread, the government has provided bail or parole to undertrials and those with 8-10 years of imprisonment. To minimize distress and anxiety, strict rules have been implemented, including regular sanitization, less gathering of visitors, mask-wearing, and maintaining distance from new inmates. The virus has resulted in numerous deaths worldwide, joblessness, and increased dropout rates. India aims to launch a vaccine in mid-2021, making the country corona-free. Using secondary data sources that included journal articles, government reports, and media, the paper sought to understand the implications of these events on correctional facilities in West Bengal. It found that these facilities faced unique challenges, such as implementing health protocols and managing outbreaks among inmates. The measures included releasing some prisoners early to reduce overcrowding and mitigate virus spread. The study concluded that while immediate actions were critical in controlling the spread of COVID-19 within prisons, they also highlighted significant gaps in pandemic preparedness and response in correctional settings. The findings suggest a need for robust health infrastructure and better crisis management strategies in correctional facilities to safeguard inmate and public health.