SC Department of Corrections extends visitation suspension because of COVID-19
No visitors, volunteers, work-release programs or labor crews will be allowed at South Carolina state prisons through at least the end of September because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Department of Corrections announced Wednesday.
Visitation has been suspended through the department’s 21 institutions since March 12.
All inmates will continue to receive two free five-minute calls per week, regardless of whether they have telephone restrictions, the department said.
“All routine transfers between institutions continue to be suspended. Transfers for security and medical reasons will continue as needed. Inmates will attend court and parole hearings virtually,” the department said in a statement.
In addition, SCDC will begin accepting and processing new inmates at Kirkland Correctional Institution on Sept. 1. The department had previously stopped accepting new inmates at Kirkland in April before setting up a temporary reception center at another facility, then closed that as well when cases of COVID-19 were reported.
As of Wednesday, SCDC has reported 1,477 coronavirus cases among inmates across its system, in addition to 404 among staff members. While 305 of those staff members have since been cleared, only 620 offenders have been.
The biggest outbreaks have occurred at Tyger River, MacDougall and Kirkland correctional facilities. All three had completed targeted testing and recorded case counts ranging from 199 to 409.
Also on Wednesday, SCDC announced the death of its 14th inmate with COVID-19. Gary Clifton Hamilton, 63, was housed at McCormick Correctional Institution until he was hospitalized on Aug. 11 with the virus. He had underlying medical conditions, the department said, and died Wednesday at an outside hospital.
