Richwood Guards' Deaths Raises Questions

Two men employed as guards at the Richwood Correctional Center located in the town of Richwood died recently, and their families strongly believe that their deaths could have been prevented. Carl Lenard, 62, and Stanton Johnson, 51, died after contacting COVID-19 while working at the Richwood facility. According to media reports and family members, both men are believed to have contracted virus from detainees (some of whom has been confirmed to have the virus) while working at the facility.

The detainees who are under the authority of immigration agency ICE, sent them to Richwood to hold them until their cases are adjudicated. It is believed that the town entered into an agreement to house the detainees at its facility, and the town would be compensated. Before any deal was made, town meetings were held that at times got heated, but the town’s alderpersons voted to allow the facility to be used. At the time of the vote, COVID-19 did not exist, but the citizens of Richwood were assured that “every precaution” would be done to ensure their safety, and ICE was responsible for the detainees’ care.

That, no doubt, will not bring any comfort to the families of Lenard and Johnson, who contend that those assigned to watch over the detainees allegedly were not given permission to wear masks. As of press time, the official cause of their deaths has not been from COVID-19 complications.

The U.S. has over a million confirmed COVID-19 cases and over 67,000 deaths, and those numbers are expected to swell even more over the next two months. There is reportedly not enough testing done in the general population, which raises speculations that there is minimal to none being conducted in prisons. It is only through those that speak on the condition of anonymity that the public gets an idea of what goes on behind prison walls.

Now, according to media reports, guards can wear masks, and that protective equipment “is provided” as necessary. Questions sure to be asked to town officials could range from how employees are protected and whether any new arriving detainees have any Coronavirus complications. Correctional facilities can become hotspots for COVID-19 outbreaks if adequate testing is not done at facilities like Richwood, which can become a danger to people like Carl Lenard and Stanton Johnson, who were only doing their jobs. There could be a shortage of qualified persons to work as guards if prison officials are not truthful about their safety policies. Legislators at the state and federal levels need to be more involved. If not, there will be more Carl Lenard and Stanton Johnson.

Photo Carl Lenard