As state and federal vaccination deadlines near, prison staff remain some of the most reluctant government workers to get the anti-COVID-19 shots. Fearing major staff losses over vaccinations—correctional officers, unions, and California Governor Gavin Newsom have moved to halt the mandate in courts. At the same time, organizations that advocated for mass releases of prisoners during the height of pandemic have seized the opportunity to push for more. Across 50 state prisons in New York, 55 percent of staff have reported to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 8. Statewide it is 67 percent. In Illinois, less than half of prison staff have reported to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 28, whereas 70 percent of inmates are. In California, around half of prison staff didn’t get vaccinated by the Oct. 14 deadline. Governor Newsom joined California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to ask a federal judge to pause the mandate. Their …
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