Most prisoners and jail attendants can attest to the fact that jail cells are grimy and disgusting. Being stuck in the pokey is not supposed to be equivalent to a stay at the Ritz. Even if your stay in jail is a short one, it’s not supposed to create warm and fuzzy feelings that will make you want to come back in the future. Having your freedom taken away, being fed jailhouse vittles, having open toilets, and only showering on occasion, are only some of the unpleasant inconveniences of being in the slammer. Jails are bad in their own right, but are much worse when bed bugs have penetrated security forces!
Silive.com reported on July 8, 2011 that bed bugs have crept their way into the Staten Island, New York 120th Precinct. According to reports, “the New York Police Department had to shut down the holding-cell area in the 120th Precinct station in St. George, leading the city’s Department of Correction.” The main fear is that the bloodsuckers will spread to the pens in Stapleton Criminal Court. You can find the article here.
Additionally, on July 12, 2011, NewsWorks reported that bed bugs have infiltrated two police stations in Philadelphia, PA. According to reports, one station is a processing center that transports all prisoners to the Police Detention Unit. This transport system allows for the easy access for bed bugs to be transferred from place to place. Understandably, police officers are concerned in both New York and Philadelphia about bringing bed bugs to their homes and families. You can find the article here.
New Jersey pest control professionals say that it’s important to nip these bed bug infestations in the bud quickly as bed bugs as prolific breeders. Jailhouses make perfect breeding grounds for bed bugs and their victims are in close proximity for a good blood meal. As prisons are transferred from location to location throughout the city, it will be very easy for the elusive bed bug to hitch a ride on unsuspecting prisoners, or their keepers, and spread the infestation from place to place.