In this essay for The New York Times, John J. Lennon writes about how distrust for the American government may effect the vaccine rollout throughout our corrections system.
EXCERPT
Distrust for the American government is almost palpable within the country’s prison walls. Many incarcerated people doubt the vaccine’s safety. Others question whether other substances will actually be shot into their arms. Administrators seldom build trusting relationships with prisoners. Now, with Covid-19 raising the stakes, that us-against-them mentality is putting all of us in danger.
Oddly, it’s many of the folks who work for the government, like the corrections officers in the cellblocks, who seem more distrusting of the vaccine than many of us. Recently, I asked 10 random corrections officers if they’d been vaccinated; only three said yes.