Montgomery County Department of Correction and Rehabilitation Employee Tests Positive for COVID-19

For Immediate Release: Monday, April 6, 2020

A staff member of the Montgomery County Department of Correction and Rehabilitation (DOCR) has tested positive for COVID-19.

The employee is reported to be doing well and is without symptoms. The employee last worked on March 26, at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility (MCCF) in Boyds, Md. 

Based upon guidance from the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, and consistent with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all relevant staff who had close contact have been notified and quarantined. Additionally, as an extra precaution, inmates who had any contact with the employee are receiving daily temperature checks until the completion of the recommended 14-day exposure period.

“Similar to other jurisdictions with our significant workforce and inmate population, we understood that this day would come for us,” said the County's Department of Correction and Rehabilitation Director Angela Talley. “However, I do strongly believe if we follow the protocols, we have in place for receiving inmates, housing inmates, and limiting staff exposure at work and at home, we can reduce our exposure to COVID-19. We continue to work hard every day to protect the safety of our staff and inmates.”

DOCR established plans early on to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 among staff and the inmate population including instituting additional cleaning schedules and modifications to processes to increase the possibility for social distancing within DOCR facilities.  DOCR was proactive in instituting a screening process at the intake facility to identify arrestees with recent travel and/or exposure to COVID-19. DOCR also implemented a temperature taking protocol for all those entering DOCR facilities.

The MCCF is responsible for the custody and care of male and female offenders who are either in a pretrial status or serving sentences of up to 18 months. 

For the latest COVID-19 updates, visit the County’s COVID-19 website and follow Montgomery County on Facebook and Twitter.

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Release ID: 20-174
Media Contact: Julie Parker 240-777-6507