During the height of coronavirus in New York, jails and prisons were struggling to keep the pandemic at bay. In Yaphank, a section of single cells was turned into a quarantine location--but that meant women there already were moved into a shared dorm. Latoya Rolle and Janean Villanueva were among them, and they talked about their experiences for Episode 35 of “Life Under Coronavirus.” That included berths close enough to sneeze on someone for some time, and a mounting list of limitations to visitors, programs, and movement as the jail tried to keep the virus away. In the spring, they reentered a locked-down world. “When I came home, I expected to do everything that I craved to do,” said Villanueva. “And due to COVID I can’t.”

Newsday Opinion

Mark Chiusano

Life Under Coronavirus: Jailed during the pandemic

JUL 24, 20209 MIN
Newsday Opinion

Life Under Coronavirus: Jailed during the pandemic

JUL 24, 20209 MIN

Description

During the height of coronavirus in New York, jails and prisons were struggling to keep the pandemic at bay. In Yaphank, a section of single cells was turned into a quarantine location--but that meant women there already were moved into a shared dorm. Latoya Rolle and Janean Villanueva were among them, and they talked about their experiences for Episode 35 of “Life Under Coronavirus.” That included berths close enough to sneeze on someone for some time, and a mounting list of limitations to visitors, programs, and movement as the jail tried to keep the virus away. In the spring, they reentered a locked-down world. “When I came home, I expected to do everything that I craved to do,” said Villanueva. “And due to COVID I can’t.”