Robin DelPriore likes to take pictures.

Photo-taking became even more important about three years ago when her, Alex, son was incarcerated.

She wanted Alex in all her photos, so she printed out a picture of his head and took it to all the big events.

What You Need To Know

  • Robin DelPriore's son is serving a sentence at Hale Creek 
  • The facility now has 22 active cases 
  • No word yet on when the incarcerated population will be vaccinated 

“He was like 'Mom, you are so cool. Everyone up here can’t believe you did that.' He was so happy,” said DelPriore.

Alex is at Hale Creek, a medium-security facility. He’s serving a sentence of three and a half years. Though the facility went months with a single COVID-19 case, now there are 24 active cases and 22 pending at the facility, yet there is no word on when the incarcerated will be vaccinated.

“Don’t say because you’ve committed some crime, you’re not deserving of this, because you are,” said DelPriore.

In congregate living with reusable masks meant to last weeks, Alex is vulnerable, especially because he’s diabetic.

“So people get sick and we put them in solitary. You’re in a box. Sick, sick, sick. That’s not treatment. That’s torture,” said DelPriore.

Robin started advocacy work with Center for Community Alternatives. The group’s position is that as all people in congregate living are vulnerable, especially those in prisons and jails.

“I don’t want to take it away from anybody, but it doesn’t seem like rocket science to me that you would go to nursing homes, you would to homeless shelters, you would go to prisons and jails. You would go to the places where people don’t have the option to not be on top of each other,” said DelPriore.

Though the state’s 1B vaccination group includes those in congregate living, there is no word on the imprisoned. Earlier this month, there was confusion in Albany as lawmakers in the majority Democratic conference said they were told inmates and correctional officers would be included in 1B. But the Republican Senate minority leader said Republicans heard it was the opposite. 

New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker and Larry Schwartz are handling the vaccine program.

Robin said the incarcerated are thought as solely criminals.

“This is my son. They’re someone’s father. It’s someone’s uncle. It’s someone’s brother. It’s someone’s husband. They’re still people,” said DelPriore.