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Eight Indiana prisons have suspended in-person visitation in response to coronavirus cases. The Indiana Department of Correction says no offenders or staff have tested positive.
FILE PHOTO: Barbara Brosher/WFIU, WTIUUpdated March 11 at 7:15 p.m.
The Indiana Department of Correction extended its restriction of in-person visitations to all of its facilities Wednesday.
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The Indiana Department of Correction has suspended in-person visitations to eight prisons in response to the new coronavirus.
The suspension includes Heritage Trail Correctional Facility, Indiana State Prison and Indiana Women’s Prison.
The affected prisons were chosen because they are near an area where a member of the public tested positive for COVID-19. The Department of Corrections says there are no known cases of the virus in their facilities.
READ MORE: What Do You Need To Know About Coronavirus? We’ve Got Answers.
Commissioner Rob Carter said in a statement, visitations are important to offenders and their families. But he said the agency must take steps to prevent the virus from entering prisons.
While in-person visitations have been suspended, approved friends and family members can still visit remotely by video.
Prior to visiting, friends and family members can check the status of visitations by going to the Department of Correction's website, select a specific facility, and go to visitation for the most up-to-date information.
Contact Paola at pmarizan@wnin.org or follow her on Twitter at @pmarizan.
This is a rapidly evolving story, and we are working hard to bring you the most up-to-date information. However, we recommend checking the websites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Indiana State Department of Health for the most recent numbers of COVID-19 cases.
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