Orange County suspends jail visitation, inmate programs until March 27 amid coronavirus concerns

Visiting at Orange County jails, including programs for inmates within the facilities, has been suspended until March 27 amid concerns about the spreading of the novel coronavirus, sheriff’s officials announced Monday.

Although the jail facilities don’t have contact visits, sheriff’s officials say the gathering of visitors is a concern based on how the virus spreads. With these changes they hope to minimize risk to the public, staff, volunteers and inmates, the department said.

“Visiting days draw large numbers of the public who sit in close proximity in the lobby of our facilities,” sheriff’s spokeswoman Carrie Braun said in a statement.

Classes and programs provided to inmates, taught by outside contractors and volunteers, are also being halted.

They stressed that these won’t apply to visits inmates get with their attorneys or others related to legal matter. Also inmates will be given two, free 5-minute phone calls each week, the department said.

“The Sheriff’s Department understands that visiting and programming play a critical role in inmate rehabilitation, however safety remains the department’s top priority,” Braun said.

After the March 27 deadline, the department will evaluate whether to reinstate the halted visits and programs.