UPDATED: York , Chester, Lancaster jails halt inmate visitation amid coronavirus concerns
Inmate visitation and volunteer programs have been halted at jails and prisons in York, Chester and Lancaster counties after South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency over coronavirus.
York County and Chester County have had no confirmed cases of the virus, called COVID-19. Yet the county jail and courts handle hundreds of people each day in common areas, courtrooms, and in custody.
Lancaster has had two coronavirus cases.
The state of emergency that bans inmate visitors at the Lancaster County jail includes the Kershaw state prison in Lancaster County, officials said.
The York County prison, operated by the Public Works Department, also has suspended visitation during the state of emergency, county officials said.
York County has about 400 people in the county jail on any given day, said Kevin Tolson, York County Sheriff. Tolson said he wants anyone with flu-like symptoms or is “high-risk” for contracting COVID-19 to not enter Moss Justice Center and District Offices in Rock Hill, Fort Mill and Clover. He also asked anyone who traveled internationally and is sick to not go to the Moss Center or district offices.
The York County jail and common areas enacted stricter cleaning measures earlier this week.
Chester County Sheriff Max Dorsey said additional cleaning stations have been set up for detention center staff and new inmates which are being used before anyone enters the county jail.
Visits between inmates and defense lawyers will still be allowed, sheriff officials said.
York County court officials decided Friday to halt all jury trials through March to avoid large gatherings, said Kevin Brackett, 16th Circuit Solicitor. Lancaster County has ordered no jury trials for next week. All three counties are continuing with non-jury courts, officials said.
This story was originally published March 11, 2020 at 2:47 PM.
