Saturday, September 26, 2020

State Prison Offender Dies after Testing Positive for COVID-19

LILLINGTON
Sep 26, 2020

A Harnett Correctional Institution offender with pre-existing medical conditions, who tested positive for COVID-19, has died at a hospital.

“His death is saddening, and we continue to work to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in our prisons,” said Todd Ishee, Commissioner of Prisons. “The health and safety of the staff and the offenders in our custody continues to be our top priority.”

The offender tested positive for the virus when he was admitted to the hospital on Sept. 7. His condition worsened and he died on Sept. 26 around 3:40 p.m.

The offender was a male in his early-60s who had underlying health conditions. Given his family’s right to privacy and the confidentiality of prison offender records, the Department of Public Safety will not further identify the individual. 

Prisons leadership has taken more than four dozen actions throughout the North Carolina prison system to try to prevent transmission of the virus. They are found here: https://www.ncdps.gov/our-organization/adult-correction/prisons/prisons-info-covid-19

                                 # # #