Smallpox Outbreak Hits McNeil Island Penitentiary
An outbreak of smallpox has reached the federal penitentiary at McNeil Island, sparking a vaccination drive and fears of wider contagion.
John Breen and S. Herman, who are serving three-month sentences at McNeil Island for selling liquor to Indians at Yakima, have been attacked with smallpox. Every precaution is being made to prevent the spread of the disease among the prisoners. Some think a Seattle county jail prisoner brought the disease to the island. Today all the county jail prisoners here were vaccinated.
“Every precaution is being made to prevent the spread of the disease among the prisoners.”
This reflects the historic vulnerability of incarcerated populations to infectious disease outbreaks, a theme that saw renewed urgency during the modern global pandemic. It also highlights the historical role of McNeil Island as a major federal penal facility for the territory.
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