The Legal Aid Society warned of a second surge of COVID-19 cases within New York State prisons as 94 incarcerated New Yorkers have now tested positive for COVID-19 at Greene County Correctional Facility as of October 14, 2020, an increase of 81 cases in just one week, as reported by the New York Daily News.

To date, 17 New Yorkers in DOCCS custody have died from the virus and close to 900 have tested positive. For those who have been infected, the lingering effects and long-term complications of the virus remain unknown.

“We’re very concerned that this indicates a second wave is on the horizon. So there’s the question of why this spike. We’re not seeing the department reporting similar spikes at other facilities. [Is that] actually indicative of what’s happening? Or is it indicative of the department’s continued refusal to implement [a] testing protocol that will reflect [higher numbers]?” said Stefen Short, Supervising Attorney with the Prisoners’ Rights Project at The Legal Aid Society.