The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in partnership with the Department of Justice, is providing a total of $700M nationally in funding to detect and mitigate COVID-19 in jails and prisons. The funds have been allocated to states based on the states’ incarcerated population divided by the national incarcerated population. 

Sheriffs who operate jails and other “confinement facilities,” e.g. juvenile and community confinement centers, will be eligible to apply for assistance from their respective state boards of health.

According to the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), state sheriffs’ associations would be “ideal” recipients for statewide funding on behalf of participating sheriffs in their respective states.  This approach can streamline the application, funding, and reporting process for sheriffs.

The National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) has partnered with two of its strategic partners – BI2 Technologies and Watch Systems – to create IRIS Med-Verify Plus™ to detect and mitigate COVID-19.  With guidance from the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association, and in conjunction with the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office and East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, the NSA is in the process of implementing IRIS Med-Verify Plus™.  It’s a comprehensive solution that solves critical public safety and public health problems related to highly communicable diseases, such as COVID-19 and its variants.