How AI Can Help Manage Prisons Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

With inmates huddled together in closely-knitted cells inside prisons, it is little wonder then that these facilities are vulnerable to COVID-19 outbreaks. Coupled with the apathetic approach towards the health and well-being of those incarcerated, managing a pandemic of this scale has been more challenging, particularly in containment zones. Some measures that are being considered to stymie the spread of this virus in correctional facilities involve steps to bring down the population behind bars. This may include modification in the norms to shift some prisoners to home confinement, release first-time offenders or those caught for non-violent offences, or even temporarily release those who have served a majority of their sentence already. Furthermore, many inmates have underlying health conditions, making them more susceptible to severe COVID-19 symptoms.