Inmates facing big virus risks not near top of vaccine lists

By COLLEEN SLEVIN and PATTY NIEBERG Associated Press/Report for America
DENVER (AP) — Prisons nationwide have been hit hard by COVID-19 but most states don’t have inmates near the front of the line for initial doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Families of inmates are urging state officials to consider them alongside other people in group housing where outbreaks have been common. Others bristle at the idea of those who break the law getting the vaccine before people with health risks and others vulnerable to the virus. While Colorado changed course to prioritize others before prisoners, a handful of states still have inmates among the first to get the vaccine this winter. At the same time, states with the biggest prison outbreaks often don’t have inmates on early vaccine distribution plans.