DESPERATE
DESPERATE FOR WORKERS, THAT PRISONS ARE PUTTING PEOPLE'S
+@
+@ LIVES
+@ LIVES AT RISK.
TANYA EISERER INVESTIGATES.
>> Reporter: THOUSANDS OF TEXAS
INMATES HAVE CONTRACTED COVID-
19.
19.
19. SO
19. SO HAVE H+@UNDREDS OF
CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS AS THE
PANDEMIC STRETCHES INTO ITS
SIXTH MONTH.
SIXTH MONTH. >> THE PEOPLE THAT CARE CAN
MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
THE PEOPLE THAT CAN MAKE A
DIFFERENCE DON'T CARE.
>> THIS CORRECTIONAL OFFICER
SPOKE TO US OF THE CONDITION WE
CONCEAL HIS IDENTITY.
HE FEARS LOSING HIS JOB.
HE TOLD US THE EAST TEXAS
PRISON UNIT, HE IS SUPPOSED TO
BE WORKING OUT DOESN'T HAVE +@A
CORONAVIRUS CASES.
CORONAVIRUS CASES. BUT HE SAYS, HE GOT THE VIRUS
AFTER BEING SENT TO WORK IN AN
UNDERSTAFFED UNIT WHERE THE
VIRUS RUNS RAMPANT.
>> I WENT TO THE +@EMERGENCY
ROOM, FOR THE FIRST PROBABLY
THREE DAYS I THOUGHT I WAS
GOING TO DIE.
I WAS CONSTANTLY COLD BUT
SWEATING.
SWEATING.
SWEATING. IT TOOK EFFORT JUST TO WALK TO
GO TO THE BATHROOM.
IT WAS TERRIBLE.
>> THE OFFICER IS CONVINCED HE
CONTRACTED COVID-19 AS A DIRECT
RESULT OF BEING SENT TO THAT
WORK AT THE OTHER UNIT.
PRISON SPOKESMAN JERRY MAD+@E
DIESEL QUESTIONS THAT.
>> I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S
ENTIRELY POSSIBLE TO BE ABLE TO
DELINEATE EXACTLY WHERE SOMEONE
INSIDE A TDC SPECIFICALLY
CONTRACTED THIS VIRUS.
>> IN TEXAS, MORE THAN 3900
PRISON WORKERS AND 18,600
PRISONERS HAVE TESTED POSITIVE
FOR THE VIRUS.
ONE OF THOSE TEXAS STATE
PRISONERS, IS 72-YEAR-OLD
VICTOR CANTU.
VICTOR CANTU. HE WAS AN INMATE HERE AT THE
UNIT, ABOUT 90 MILES FROM SAN
ANTONIO.
ANTONIO.
ANTONIO. MORE THAN HALF OF THE PRISONERS
HERE HAVE CAUGHT COVID-19.
SO HAVE DOZENS OF STAFF
MEMBERS.
MEMBERS.
MEMBERS. >> HE HAS BEEN THERE FOR 40
YEARS.
YEARS.
YEARS. HE
YEARS. HE IS AN OLD MAN APPEARED
>> JASMINE CANTU'S FATHER-IN-
LAW WENT TO PRISON FOR KILLING
A MAN IN 1980.
AROUND THE BEGINNING OF JULY,
THE FAMILY GOT A CALL.
>> THEY SAY, YOUR FATHER IS IN
CRITICAL CONDITION HE IS ON A
VENTILATOR.
VENTILATOR. >> SHE SAYS BY THE TIME THE
FAMILY WAS NOTIFIED, VICTOR HAD
ALREADY BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL
FOR A DAY AND A HALF.
>> HE IS THERE ALONE BY
HIMSELF.
HIMSELF.
HIMSELF. WE MAY NOT EVEN +@GET TO SAY
GOODBYE.
GOODBYE.
GOODBYE. >> ACROSS TEXAS, 36 STATE
PRISONS ARE ON LOCKDOWN BECAUSE
OF PRISONER AND STAFF CASES.
SO FAR, 117 INMATES HAVE DIED.
SO HAVE 17 PRISON WORKERS.
DIESEL TOLD US SURGES IN THE
NUMBER OF CASES IN PARTICULAR
UNIONS IS OFTEN LINKED TO MASS
TESTING.
TESTING.
TESTING. I COULD TRULY ARE, WHERE CANTU
WAS HOUSED, PRISON OFFICIALS
SAY 92% OF THE PRISONERS WHO
+@
SAY 92% OF THE PRISONERS WHO GOT COVID-19 SHOWED NO SYMPTOMS.
>> THE ACTUAL +@NUMBER OF
SYMPTOMATIC CASES, THAT WE HAVE
INSIDE TDC JAY, IS ACTUALLY ON
THE DECLINE.
THE DECLINE. >> BUT EVEN AS THE OUTBREAK
CONTINUES, THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT
OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE IS STI+@LL
SENDING OFFICERS ASSIGNED TO
ONE UNIT, TO WORK AT OTHER
UNITS.
UNITS.
UNITS. WHICH CRITICS SAY COULD
POTENTIALLY SPREAD THE DISEASE.
WHICH CRITICS SAY COULD POTENTIALLY SPREAD THE DISEASE.@
THE REASON, NOT ENOUGH STAFF.
EVEN BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, TDC
JAY ACKNOWL+@EDGES, TURNOVER WA
HIGH.
HIGH.
HIGH. A
HIGH. A FIFTH OF ITS PRISON GUARD
JOBS ARE UNFILLED.
NOW, AS THE CORONAVIRUS
SPREADS, THE STATE SAYS THERE
ARE SOMETIMES AS MANY AS 1000
CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS IN
QUAR+@ANTINE.
QUAR+@ANTINE. UNABLE TO GO TO WORK.
>> WE DO EVERYTHING IN OUR
POWER TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE.
WE DO ALL OF OUR PROTOCOLS,
THAT IS WHY MASKS ARE REQUIRED.
ALL PERSON+@S, OFFENDERS,
WORKERS, STAFF, ANYONE, MASKS
ARE REQUIRED.
ARE REQUIRED. AT ALL TIMES, IN ALL AREA+@S.
>> MEANWHILE, VICTOR CANTU'S
CONDITION IS WORSENING, HE IS
ON DIALYSIS AND WAS FLOWN BY
MEDICAL HELICOPTERS TO A PRISON
HOSPITAL IN GALVESTON.
HIS FAMILY IS NOT ALLOWED TO
VISIT HIM IN PERSON.
>> HE IS 72, HE IS NOT A THR+@E
TO NOBODY, LET HIM COME HOME.
AND I IN PEACE, OR HAVE WHAT HE
CAN LEFT WITH HIS KIDS, HE IS
NOT A THREAT TO ANYBODY.
>> IN THAT EAST TESTING CARD WE
SPOKE TO, TOLD US HE IS NOT
SURE HOW MUCH LONGER HE WILL
STAY.
STAY.
STAY. >>
STAY. >> IF I KEEP FEELING LIKE MY
FAMILY IS GOING TO BE