County jail among recipients of grant money

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has completed a collective $11.1 million project and partnership with county jails, city lockups and juvenile detention centers across the state aimed at detecting, preventing and mitigating COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. The Texas County Sheriff’s Department received funds for the jail.

This funding, provided by the American Rescue Plan Act, addresses pandemic-era issues where traditional jail and lockup environments put staff, detainees and visitors at a heightened risk for COVID-19 infections. This one-time federal funding is creating greater resiliency at the local level to prevent any respiratory viruses from circulating and creating unnecessary strain, according to a press release.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, confinement facilities were identified as a vulnerable population with several significant factors contributing to the spread of infectious diseases:

•Inadequate ventilation.

•Lack of mitigation and prevention resources like screening equipment, cleaning and sanitation supplies and personal protective equipment.

•Inability to effectively and safely isolate infected individuals.

In response, department collaborated with the Missouri Department of Corrections, as well as various law enforcement and municipal groups, to better assess their needs and ultimately make funding available through a competitive application process. The funding opportunity was promoted to more than 150 county jails and city lockups through the Missouri Sheriff’s Association, Missouri Association of Counties and the Missouri Association of Councils of Government.

The funding has been used to upgrade ventilation systems, purchase mitigation and detection supplies, equipment and software and complete minor renovations to enhance, and in some cases establish, physical distancing practices. The enhancements, which began in December 2023, are expected to significantly reduce the transmission of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases among staff, detainees, visitors and their local communities and will ensure these facilities’ ability to respond to future outbreaks.

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