Prisons across New York state are temporarily banning visitations as of 3 p.m. Wednesday.
The ban is in effect until further notice. Non-contact legal visits are not affected.
There are currently 3,914 COVID-19 cases among inmates, parolees, and corrections officers at state prisons, while 2,156 people have recovered, according to the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
Inmates are allotted two free 15-minute phone calls per week. Some will continue to receive two weekly “stamps” that allow for messaging and communication via tablets. Both will be in effect until the end of January.
It is the second time this year that prison visitations have been suspended because of the coronavirus. The first ban began in March and was lifted in August.
