Memorandum

Date:  April 13,2020
To: 

Honorable Lance Africk
Honorable Michael North

From:  Damley R. Hodge
Independent Compliance
Re: 

lrector

'~


COVID 19 Update

The purpose of this memorandum is to update you on the status of the Orleans Parish
Sheriff's Office (OPSO) and the Orleans Justice Center (OJC) regarding the COVID 19 crisis.
These numbers in the chart below are based on current totals. As results come in and employees
return to work the numbers will change. This will be reflective in a new column called "Return
to Work" for OPSO and Wellpath staff.

OPSO Staff
Self-Quarantined:
Overall Tested:
Positive:
Negative:
Results Pending:
Return to Work:

Wellpath Staff
18
64
37
7
6
27

SeJ f-Quarantined:
Overall Tested:
Positive:
Negative:
Results Pending;
Return to Work:

3
23
7
1
2
16

Inmate Population
Self-Quarantined:
Overall Tested:
Positive:
Negative:
Results Pending:

0
46
16
19
2

Inmate Count
Total:
IPC:
OlC:
TOC:
Hunts:

804
11
723
36
20

The chart above is reflective of current numbers, and will change as staff and/or our
inmate population status changes. There has been no change to the numbers of our inmate
population.
This section is designed to give a cumulative number ofOPSO and Wellpath staff.
Overall, forty-one (41) OPSO employees tested positive for COVID 19, seventeen (17) tested
negative, six (6) are pending their results, and thirty-one (31) employees self-quarantined during
the pandemic. A total of ninety-five (95) employees have been affected by COVIDI9. The self­
quarantine number went down by one (1) because we learned the employee was tested, and the
results were negative. It's reflective in the total negatives.
For Wellpath, eleven (11) employees have tested positive, ten (10) have tested negative,
two (2) are pending their results, and six (6) self-quarantined during this pandemic. A total of
twenty-nine (29) Wellpath employees have been affected by COVID 19.
The format of this report appears to be confusing to some of the recipients. I will most
likely change the format in an attempt to make it more understandable. Be advised that there
will be a noticeable change in the numbers in the coming days. We have acquired collection kits

 and are in the process of testing all of unit four (4) inmates today. Testing of the other units will
occur in the days to come. We are also testing staff.
We will attempt to apply strict principals of Direct Supervision by assigning the same
staff to the same pod. Staff will not be allowed to enter any pod other than the pod they have
been assigned.
I have been in direct contact with Dr. Greifinger regarding the manner in which inmates
should be segregated to avoid spreading the infection, and will make every attempt to implement
his recommendations. However, the design of this facility makes such classification a challenge.
The facility has approximately 1440 beds and only 723 inmates. This gives the impression that
there is a lot of flexibility in moving inmates around. This is not the case. The facility consists
of 24 pods of 60 beds each. There are no smaller pods for classification of inmates who should
be kept separate. For example, we have a 60 bed pod encumbered with 11 inmates, another 60
bed pod with 9 inmates, another 60 bed pod with 6 inmates, and another 60 bed pod with 6
inmates (females). That is a total of240 beds encumbered with only 32 inmates.
As stated earlier, the design of the facility does not efficiently accommodate the needs of
classification especially in times like this. This problem would have been drastically remedied if
the Special Use Building was completed.

cc:

Sheriff Marlin N. Gusman
Monitor Margo Frasier
Monitor Robert Greifinger