MASK POLICY AT ISCC IS NOT ONLY INEFFECTIVE, BUT MAY BE HARMFUL DUE TO IMPROPER USE OF CHEAP, LOW QUALITY MASKS MADE IN CHINA
There can be little doubt that masks of any type covering the face and mouth are beneficial against the spread of airborne viral and bacterial contagions, with some masks working better than others. Some masks do little more than obscure the face while allowing snot-rocket globs the size of gummy bears to get through, while others are designed specifically to trap or prevent even virus sized particles from transferring in or out. The masks provided to staff and prisoners at the ISCC are somewhere in between (though leaning towards the snot-rocket end of the spectrum) and are being mischaracterized by prison administrators as medical/surgical quality masks. ISCC Town Hall Meeting minutes from September 1, 2020, minutes reveal the following conversations and orders from administrators regarding the wearing of masks in the facility: * MASKS * All IDOC offenders and staff are mandated to wear medical/surgical masks, which are provided by the IDOC * Masks can not be ordered from Amazon and