COVID-19 cluster at re-entry facility

A COVID-19 cluster has emerged at Grossman Center in Leavenworth, Kansas.

WE KNOW SOCIALDISTANCING IS EFFECTIVEWHEN IT COMES TOSTOPPING THE SPREAD OFCOVID-19.MORE THAN 800 PEOPLEHAVE CONTRACTED THEVIRUS AT LANSINGCORRECTIONAL FACILITY --BUT ANOTHER HOT SPOT ISEMERGING: THEGROSSMAN CENTER, ALSOIN LEAVENWORTH COUNTY.THE I-TEAM'S JESSICAMCMASTER SPOKE WITHAN INMATE THERE --WHERE MORE THAN 60PEOPLE ARE INFECTED.Jessica McMasterWE received SEVERALCOMPLAINTS FROMPEOPLE AT PRISONS ANDREENTRY CENTERS WHSAY THEY ARE STUCK WITHNO WHERE TO GO---ANDCAN ONLY HOPE THEYDON'T GET SICK.Stephen VanVacter, GrossmanCenter inmatewe're frustrated, we're mawe're upset because everyonewe live with, we associatewith, are falling to the covidPRIOR TO COVID-19,STEPHEN VANVACTER,WENT TO WORK EVERYDAY-THEN RETURNEDHERE TO GROSSMANCENTER IN LEAVENWORTH-- a re-entry facility.VanVacterit's just been madness here.VANVACTER IS NOWLOCKED DOWN DUE TO AWIDESPREAD OUTBREAK.AS OF MONDAY EVENING,67 PEOPLE AT THE 150 BEDFACILITY have TESTEDPOSITIVE FOR COVID-19.THE BUREAU OF PRISONSRECOMMENDSSYMPTOMATIC INMATES BEISOLATED... BUTVANVACTER SAYS, THATDOESN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN.VanVacterjust yesterday they came inand cleared the dorm out andput us all in the cafeteria andsaid we were all the negativecases well 15 minutes laterthey came back in and saidhalf the people in there theymade a mistake they werepositive cases.ANOTHER INMATE, WHSAYS HE TESTED POSITIVEFOR COVID, SENT US THISMESSAGE, THAT SAYSQUOTE "WE ARE ALL INSMALL UNITS THE SIZE OA THREE-CAR GARAGE,STACKED TOGETHER INBUNK BEDS WITHIN THREEFEET OF EACH OTHER."PRISONS AND HALFWAYHOUSES REFLECT THEIMPORTANCE OF SOCIALDISTANCING - AT LANSINGCORRECTIONAL FACILITY,four inmates HAVE DIED-MORE THAN 700 HAVETESTED POSITIVE FOR THEVIRUS.AND NOW, PEOPLE LIKEVANVACTER, WANT TO BERELEASED EARLY.VanVacterwe've completed 90 percent ofour sentence, everybody here,we've all done what we weresuppose to do to get to behere and now it feels likewe're being held hostage untilwe catch the covid.Jessica McMasterThe inmate you just heardfrom says he's supposed to bereleased no later than July.Jessica McMaster 41 ActionNews.WE REACHED OUT TO GEGROUP, THE CONTRACTORFOR GROSSMAN, ABOUTTHE CONCERNS BUT HAVENOT HEARD BACK.GOVERNOR KELLY'SOFFICE IS WORKING ONEARLY RELEASE FORPRISONERS BUT TODAYTOLD US THEY DO NOTHAVE CONTROL O