As the COVID-19 pandemic spread, incarcerated people were among the hardest hit populations in the United States. Overcrowding, substandard facilities, underlying health conditions and misinformation about the virus created a volatile mix that led to huge numbers of infected individuals.

Nicole Lewis is a reporter for the Marshall Project. During the pandemic, Nicole documented the stories of four incarcerated individuals in an incredible piece: “How we survived COVID-19 in Prison.” 

In part one of a two-part interview, Nicole discusses the conditions that contributed to the high COVID numbers in prisons, and the unique challenges incarcerated people faced just to survive.