New York prisoners offered conjugal visits, barbecue parties, care packages as vaccine incentives

According to the New York Post, the state prison officials are so desperate to get inmates vaccinated against the coronavirus that the system is dangling the benefits, according to a notice issued to the imprisoned pool of 34,000 jailbirds.

A memo from Corrections Commissioner Anthony Annucci cited a mere 45 percent of New York's incarcerated felons who have been inoculated, compared to more than 70 percent of the vaccinated law-abiding population.

That's what led Annucci to develop the incentive program.

• Food: the prize is geared towards the individual inmate. Five prisoners in each of the state's 50 prisons can win a care package of "the most popular food items sold at our assigned facility’s commissary, not to exceed a $75 value."
• Barbecue: the prize is geared towards inmates collectively. The top six facilities with the most inmates vaccinated will win a facility-wide barbecue. The way the criteria is set up means two facilities with from 399 or less, 400 to 799, and more than 800 prisoners will be selected to enjoy the cook-outs.
• Conjugal visits: this one isn't as much a contest or giveaway, as it is a requirement. Annucci wrote in the memo that it'll be a requirement that if any inmate wants to participate in the "family reunification program" when it restarts in September 2021, they'll need to have taken the COVID-19 vaccine.

The questionable methodology of encouragement in order to prod prisoners to take the COVID-19 shot parallels that of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo giving out lottery scratch-off tickets to members of the public.

Not all are happy with the approach. New York Republican state Sen. Tom O'Mara stated: "Cuomo's administration has more important work to do than putting together and expending its resources on care packages and arranging barbecues for state prison inmates." O'Mara urged via press statement that state prison officials should be prioritizing efforts to stop the rising tide of violence throughout the state's prison system and ensure adequate staffing levels.