A man recently paroled from Cummins Unit, a prison that has had 876 inmates and 54 staff members test positive for coronavirus disease 2019, apparently had no symptoms upon being released. But shortly after coming to Eureka Springs, he developed symptoms and tested positive for Covid-19.
Officials said the parolee, Jad Perkins, 40, was told to self-quarantine, but did not. He apparently infected at least one other person here who also recently tested positive for Covid-19. He was picked up by the Department of Corrections (DOC) for violating parole and was placed in the Carroll County Detention Center Tuesday where several jailers initially walked off the job in protest.
“We did have some folks who objected to him being here, but I took care of it,” said Sheriff Jim Ross. Ross said Perkins was kept isolated and jail staff used personal protection equipment.
“We do more than even required,” Ross said. “We have no interest in letting that thing get away from us.”
Ross said Perkins was scheduled to be picked up today by the DOC.
Prisons in Arkansas have been hotbeds for the spread of the Covid-19. Gov. Asa Hutchinson said on April 21 that 38 percent of state’s total Covid-19 cases were from prisons. Several hundred prisoners have been released early due to the outbreak. But the current policy is to only do Covid-19 testing on parolees who show symptoms.
All inmates and residents are checked for symptoms of Covid-19, including receiving a temperature check, prior to their release from a DOC facility, Solomon Graves, Chief of Staff, Arkansas DOC, Office of the Secretary, said in an email.
“Those that are symptomatic will be tested per the Department of Health,” Graves said. “No Covid-positive inmate or resident will be paroled from a DOC facility. We will work with the Department of Health to secure, and enforce, a quarantine order when needed.”
Asked about the case in Eureka Springs, Graves said the DOC does not direct testing.
“The Department of Health guidance for our inmate population is that only symptomatic inmates will be tested,” Graves said. “The DOC does not direct testing. Testing decisions are made by the Department of Health, in consultation with Wellpath, LLC (our contracted medical provider).”
Mayor Butch Berry said he is very concerned about the case, especially as the city has had no known cases of Covid-19 before this. He said he feels what happened this past week in Eureka Springs illustrates major problems with the DOC policies. Berry said every inmate released should be tested for Covid-19.
“Unfortunately, that does not assure the public or the DOC that the inmate does not later on have the virus or the symptoms,” Berry said.
Dr. Dan Bell said the current procedures are inadequate to protect the public.
“If they are about to release people who have been in prison and are clearly at risk for being exposed, they need to be screened and have a negative test before they leave,” Bell said. “But there is still a fair chance that they could have this virus. Someone can have the virus, but not enough to test positive. He could still bloom out later. They really need a two-week quarantine before they are allowed to get out and have contact with the public.”
Bell said it is critically important that contact tracing be done immediately in order to stop Eureka Springs from turning into a Covid-19 hotbed. The parolee reportedly shopped at least two local stores and also went around town looking for yard work. After testing positive, he was observed not wearing a mask or gloves, or practicing social distancing.
“He was told to quarantine, and did not,” Bell said. “He did bring it into the community and spread it to others. We don’t know how far it has spread. It is very important that we get contact tracing immediately to make sure Eureka Springs doesn’t turn into a hotbed for Covid-19.”
Bell was working today to get contract tracing initiated, but the person who does the tracing in Carroll County was off work today. Bell said Perkins apparently exposed quite a few people, so it is important contact tracing be done immediately so people can self-quarantine.
Bell is a co-founder of the ECHO medical clinic and the ECHO Village. The intent of the village is to help people obtain decent, affordable housing, including people recently released from prison.
“We are sensitive and understand it is hard for guys released to get their lives restarted,” said Bell. “We don’t want to make it any harder for them. Testing needs to be done and even if they are negative, they need to be under 14 days of supervised quarantining so they are not shunned and we know it is safe to let them back into our society.”
Danyelle McNeill, public information officer, ADH, said in an email they are working closely with the DOC in an effort to prevent inmates who have tested positive for Covid-19 from being released until they have completed quarantine.
“We believe this is working well to reduce the risk of spreading the virus as much as possible,” she said.
However, this didn’t work in Eureka Springs.
“This person is a learning case that shows the DOC strategy is inadequate,” Bell said. “There is no question about it because we can see what happened.”
There was concern that the parolee wasn’t even supposed to be in Eureka. He was paroled to Tennessee, according to Carroll County Prosecutor Tony Rogers.
Rogers said that violating a health department requirement to self-quarantine is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by a year in county jail or a $1,000 fine.
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This just isn’t true as far as the employees protesting goes. The employees were FIRED for not wanting to put their families in danger.
The employees signed up to put their lives in danger. But coming in contact with this disease and taking it home to their children is another thing all together.
Shame on you Carroll County officials. You should really be ashamed of yourselves.
Our nation is currently in a National Pandemic because of COVID-19, but hey don’t let your jailers call their families before they make a decision that is going to put their lives at risk.
Are you following this story, Becky Gillette? Will you be updating us soon?
The responsibility was on the paroled inmate to go to Tennessee.He should have been ESCORTED to Tennessee and retested before being permanently released..
Just Amazed, how do you know for sure this person self quarantined? It would help to know he was actually not all over town for three weeks
From a crime standpoint: the subject deserves to be incarcerated. I applaud the efforts of the local authorities to repair the gaffe of the Department of Corrections. His name is public record, okay to publish.
From a journalism standpoint: I don’t think the Independent should disclose medical information, even if you know it. If a subject of a story has HIV or Hepatitis C, would you disclose that? It’s not your job.
I’m glad (but sorry) this article was posted, but I’m wondering why it didn’t include the names of the stores he shopped at, or include his photo in the article so people could figure out if they had been near him? Seems like a no-brainer but maybe there were privacy issues involved.
I have been trying to warn my local friends about the dangers we face here in Carroll County. Governor Hutchinson has nit been truthful about reporting prison inmates in his CoVid statistics. He believes they don’t count, so as to make the numbers look more favorable for re-opening up businesses. He needs to be truthful to the public that elected him… prisoners are people too! Anyone coming into this country, or other countries for that matter, is put into a mandatory, observed 14 day quarantine. Why in HELL is this not the rule for inmates before they are released into the community? If this situation remains unchecked, seniors and those with underlying medical conditions who make up a large percentage of Eureka Springs residents are facing a deadly outcome! Wake up Asa! We can’t allow released prisoners. or even tourists for that matter, jeopardize the residents of Carroll County!
So glad this story ran. I was informed last weekend and started asking questions, sending messages to Mayor Berry, and others. This is a major win for our local administrators, Mayor Berry, Alderman Harry Meyer, Sheriff Jim Goss and Assistant DA Tony Rogers, and of course, Dr. Bell who I believe brought this to the leaders hoping for a sane outcome.
I understand the stance of the officer’s, my husband worked there about a year ago, he made only one dollar an hour more there than he did fifteen years ago when he was just starting out, while he was working at this facility they offer worked sick and twelve hours shifts because they barely had enough employees to have state minimum working. Do to them working sick they would just keep passing it there were several months where almost everyone in the building was sick employee’s and inmate’s
Doin’ a heckuva job, Assa
I used to think the Independent published actual facts until I read this article. I have personally been following Covid in Arkansas since day one of the shut down and Carroll County had TWO Covid cases PRIOR to Perkins being released from prison but he and his family will now be blamed for every case in our town? I sure hope people in our area are smart enough to not be manipulated by the press. Mr Perkins DID quarantine and he also notified people he came in contact with when he received his results. ADC is the one who should be punished for releasing ANY inmate without a test.
Thank you for setting the facts straight.
You’re correct. Unfortunately, he will probably get the blame for any other cases. It’s a shame we still have people that brow beat others that have made mistakes but are trying to recover from them. Nobody is perfect but some act like they are.
Thanks again and God bless you and your family.
@ just amazed Are you family? No matter.. You say that Jad warned people that he came in contact with, really? Just curious on how you know this & who did he tell?? Regardless of, Jad needs to own up & take responsibility for his role in this! Self quarantine means, self quarantine & nooot go out to places & infect others!!
Good story. On what dates did this all occur?
Gee whiz, convict released did not follow rules. What a shock.
We knew it was going to come, but I thought a tourist would bring it. Oh, well, this is why we should ALL be wearing masks.
Agreed
It’s good to know. i am sad to hear of someone affected in Eureka Springs. However, I do not want to know their name, I DO want to know where they have been. I think this is a reasonable request to help everyone avoid those locations, or think about whether or not they have been in those places and are possibly infected.
>June Easton, he was seen in Sunfest in HI and DollarGeneral in ES. Neither of those places require employees (including checkers) to wear masks, nor do they have Plexiglas shields in place to protect customers & checkers.
Agreed. Everyone should know where he has been. I did here that he frequented Dollar General.
When exactly was the man released from Cummins?
This is horrible to say the least.
Thanks alot Asa