Josiah Bates

Josiah Bates, a staff writer at TIME focusing on criminal justice and race, delves into the devastating effects of COVID-19 on U.S. prisons and jails. He reveals staggering statistics, including over 380,000 inmates testing positive and thousands succumbing to the virus. The close quarters make social distancing a near impossibility. Ronnie Hoagland Jr. shares his personal battle with the virus while incarcerated. Bates discusses the emotional toll of isolation on inmates and the urgent need for societal awareness and public health measures in these vulnerable environments.