Jail

Allegheny County Jail

COVID-19 INFORMATION

Our Response

The Bureau of Corrections is charged with providing for the care, custody and control of persons committed to the Allegheny County Jail. Confined areas present challenges when it comes to mitigation and elimination of the spread of illness or disease, and COVID-19 is no exception.

At the jail, we continue to follow the guidance of our health officials. People are wearing masks, washing their hands and remaining physically distanced. We’re testing when appropriate. Positive cases are isolated. We perform contact tracing and quarantine those individuals. We have consistent cleaning of the environment. Ongoing screenings include temperature checks and queries about symptoms of all employees and contractors. Visitation restrictions, while difficult for everyone, are limiting the number of people who interact with incarcerated individuals and reducing the chance of spread. Our healthcare staff and key personnel working directly with those who are isolated or quarantined due to COVID were among the very first employees in the county to be vaccinated. We continue to enforce and reinforce all recommendations and these measures have been upheld by our hardworking, essential employees and dedicated staff. They work continuously to ensure the safe management of this facility and all those who are in it.

Healthcare and other personnel at the Allegheny County Jail were among the first employees in the county to begin receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. To date, the facility has held multiple vaccine clinics and over 390 employees have been fully vaccinated. Those employees include healthcare, correctional staff, and other direct care essential employees on all three shifts. Additionally, 161 Alternative Housing employees have been vaccinated with the first shot, while 155 have received both shots.

In cooperation with Allegheny Health Network (AHN), the facility’s medical provider, over 1,400 incarcerated individuals have received vaccinations. All vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, and Janssen) are available at the Allegheny County Jail. Every incarcerated individual is eligible to request a vaccine. The Jail remains committed to completing the vaccine series of any individual who comes to incarceration and continues to encourage our community to elect vaccination. Vaccines are not mandated within the facility. 

The health, safety and welfare of incarcerated individuals and our staff remains our biggest priority. We are deeply indebted to, and salute, our healthcare and corrections staff who are working tirelessly to care for those in our custody. We recognize the commitment, dedication and sacrifices that represents, and remain grateful for everything that they do.

Please note that the data below will be updated on a weekly basis, each Friday, beginning August 13, 2021. Information relative to COVID related hospitalizations will be updated on a daily basis. Unless noted otherwise, hospitalizations are for ongoing monitoring of individuals. As a policy, any critical status updates are provided to family members.

Total Lives Lost / Incarcerated Individuals: 1

Total Positive Cases Historically (Unduplicated Count): 892 - some rapid tests have required confirmatory testing

COVID-19 totals for December: 133 PCR tested, 3 positive, 124 negative and 0 indeterminate 

COVID-19 Rapid Antigen totals for December: 3276 offered test,37 positive, 3219 negative and 20 refused

*Pursuant to a policy of the PA Department of Corrections, any inmate being transferred to state facilities must have a negative test for COVID-19 before transfer can be made. As a result, those incarcerated individuals awaiting transfer are being tested on an ongoing basis. Additional testing of incarcerated individuals is done in consultation with the Allegheny County Health Department.

Attorney Visits

Effective Wednesday, July 8, 2020, the Allegheny County Jail will allow attorney visits to the facility. More information

Inmate Release

Since March 16, 2020, a collaboration of officials in the Criminal Court, including Judges, Court Administration, Adult Probation, Pretrial Services, the Public Defender’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office, have been continually reviewing cases to determine which incarcerated individuals are appropriate for release. Those cases are then addressed in Motions Court or reviewed with the assigned Judge depending on the circumstances. Incarcerated individual releases are being processed as they are received, following the same process related to discharge and release as is done traditionally. From March 17, 2020, through noon on August 5, 2021, a total of 10,096 incarcerated individuals have been released from the facility.