Blog

June 10, 2020 by Seth DiStefano
COVID-19 Outbreaks in Prisons and Jails Threaten the Health of Rural Communities

The recent COVID-19 outbreak at Huttonsville Correctional Center shines a light on why universal and periodic testing of incarcerated individuals and staff at correctional facilities combined with policies to reduce incarceration are so important to protect the health of rural communities during a pandemic. Lack of adequate COVID-19 testing within correctional facilities caught up with…

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June 8, 2020 by Sean O'Leary
Women, Minorities, and Young Workers Most Affected by Recent Job Losses

According to WorkForce West Virginia, West Virginia lost 90,100 jobs in April, as the COVID-19 pandemic and the response to it rocked the state's economy. Since the end of March, 157,807 West Virginians have filed for unemployment insurance. This week, the Department of Labor released data on the characteristics of those who filed unemployment claims…

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June 4, 2020 by Kelly Allen
West Virginia’s Already Limited Child Care Capacity is at Risk

For all the talk of West Virginia’s comeback, the reality for families is still incredibly challenging. Parents can’t go back to work if they don’t have a safe place for their kids to go for child care. The success of our comeback will depend in part on mitigating the economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis…

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June 2, 2020 by Sean O'Leary
The CARES Act is Keeping the Economy Afloat, But for How Long?

April was one of the ugliest months for jobs and the economy in history, both nationally and here in West Virginia. The national unemployment rate increased by 10.3 percentage points, with all 50 states experiencing an increase. West Virginia's unemployment rate rose to 15.3%, while the state lost over 90,000 jobs. Yet despite the fact…

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May 28, 2020 by Kelly Allen
Women Bear Brunt of Job and Care Costs Amid COVID-19

While COVID-19 is having wide-ranging impacts on every corner of our society, no one is more impacted by this crisis than women, particularly women of color. Women dominate the industries most affected by the pandemic, including making up two-thirds of frontline workers in West Virginia and the majority of employees in industries who’ve seen job…

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May 20, 2020 by Kelly Allen,
COVID-Related Health Coverage Losses Continue to Mount

A few weeks ago we began raising alarms about the likelihood of a sharp increase in the number of uninsured West Virginians. Over the past eight weeks, 143,000 West Virginians have filed unemployment claims due to job loss and, as we know, most working Americans get their health coverage through their employer. That means that…

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May 19, 2020 by Seth DiStefano
COVID-19 Testing Not Keeping Up with New Incarceration in WV Regional Jails

West Virginia’s regional jails, like correctional facilities around the country, are at greater risk of a COVID-19 outbreak. Social distancing in a prison setting is not possible. West Virginia’s regional jails see a daily flow of staff and newly incarcerated persons in and out of facilities that operate at the edges of being overcrowded. Combined…

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May 14, 2020 by Seth DiStefano
Food Pantries and Soup Kitchens Alone Cannot Meet Increased Need in West Virginia

In order for West Virginia to successfully address food insecurity during the response to COVID-19 and throughout the economic fallout of the pandemic, Congress should immediately increase the maximum SNAP allotment by 15% for all SNAP households. While the House of Representatives’ recently introduced HEROES Act includes this increase in food assistance, it stops short…

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May 12, 2020 by Sean O'Leary
West Virginia’s Budget Shortfall Could Top $3.6 Billion Through FY 2022

The pressure on the state budget from the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic fallout continues to mount. In April, state revenue collections were $192 million below estimates, setting the stage for what could be a total $500 million shortfall by the end of the fiscal year. Moreover, recent economic projections from the Congressional Budget Office…

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May 6, 2020 by Ted Boettner, Seth DiStefano
COVID-19 Reforms in West Virginia are Reducing Incarceration but More Action Needed

It has been well demonstrated that jails and prisons are incubators and amplifiers of diseases and infections because of the tight quarters of correctional facilities. This makes combatting the Coronavirus through "social distancing" and other measures nearly impossible. To that end, West Virginia has taken some measures to slow the spread of the Coronavirus within…

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