Online video by Wayne County Jail inmates claim unsafe conditions amid pandemic

FOX 2 - Because they stopped guests from visiting, the Wayne County Jail allowed the prisoners to start using video calls to contact their family. So, some inmates decided to use their time to send this message to the outside. 

"They are talking about one person (having) it, that is a damn lie. We are not getting tested, we are not getting masks, we've got to use our clothing for masks," says one inmate.

"Everybody is using towels to cover up their faces," another inmate says on the video. "Nobody (has any masks)."

The troubling video from the Wayne County Jail went viral after it surfaced on social media last Friday. The inmates are claiming they have to use clothes and towels for face masks and no one at least there in Division 2, had been tested for COVID-19.

"The whole time we're sick, the medical staff (has not) come yet," said an inmate in the video.

Are inmates being properly protected and tested? FOX 2 took our questions to Wayne County Chief of Jails Robert Dunlap.

"I don't know exactly when they made the video, but on Friday is when everyone was issued masks," he said.

FOX 2:  "So it could have been before then?"

"I'm still trying to verify when the video was made but masks were delivered on Friday," Dunlap said.

FOX 2: "Why did it take so long for them to get the masks into the jail - I am assuming if one person had it - it is just a matter of time before several others were infected as well?"

"Unfortunately, we are no different than any other agency in the United States. As we all know there has been a real challenge even getting masks for our employees," Dunlap said.

Chief Dunlap says nursing staff and officers received the masks first followed by the inmates, but in terms of testing, only people exhibiting symptoms are being tested. 

So far only six inmates have been tested - five came back positive and the sixth test is pending. Those inmates are being quarantined in a portion of the Hamtramck facility.

"The same opportunities that are being made available to the employees are now being made available to inmates," Dunlap said. "We are not going to go through the population and test everyone. You have to be symptomatic."

FOX 2: "I am assuming at this point there are more people exhibiting symptoms?"

"Not to our knowledge," he said. "Even people in the video who have a fake cough, refuse to be assessed, were assessed anyway and none had symptoms that were consistent with the virus."

So far a commander and an officer working in two separate jail facilities have died from COVID-19. As of Monday 138 jail employees tested positive for the coronavirus, but many have started to return to work.