The Marshall Project continues to track cases of COVID-19 and it's impact across US prisons. They note that a recent change by the Federal Bureau of Prisons to remove cases and deaths from its reports has reduced their ability to accurately track new cases or deaths in federal prisons. Read more: https://www.themarshallproject.org/2020/05/01/a-state-by-state-look-at-coronavirus-in-prisons [...]
The New York Times reports that dozens of individuals in prison have died who were approved for parole or not convicted. The deaths raise troubling questions about the way the country’s justice system responded to a pandemic that infected incarcerated people at more than three times the national rate. Defense attorneys, judges and some prosecutors have [...]
The Brennan Center for Justice highlights how the COVID pandemic has impacted jails – and that according to analysis by The Marshall Project and the Associated Press, more than 100,000 people have been released from state and federal prisons which is an 8% decrease in the national prison population since the pandemic started. The [...]
The Detroit Free Press notes that convicted cadaver dealer Arthur Rathburn is pleading for compassionate release from prison citing fears of contracting the coronavirus — though the government calls it an act. Prosecutors noted in a court filing that Mr. Rathburn has refused to take a COVID-19 vaccine and does not follow social distancing [...]
People For the American Way reports that Sixth Circuit judge Amul Thapar, appointed by President Trump, cast the deciding vote to affirm the dismissal of a prisoner’s complaint that prison officials disregarded orders from Governor Whitmer and were deliberately indifferent to the extreme risk of contracting COVID-19 due to prison conditions. The article details [...]
The Detroit Free Press reports that Michigan's Attorney General has taken action against at least 50 prisoners to reimburse cost of care, as allowed under Michigan law. Many of these actions appear to be triggered by prisoners receiving federal government stimulus checks. One prisoner, Phil Brown, noted, "The amount of money that they're going [...]
Vaccines have slowly made their way into the prison system but not until more than a third of the people in jails and prisons became infected. In some cases, these facilities were the worst superspreaders — with infections spreading between prisoners and staff. Read more: https://www.poynter.org/reporting-editing/2021/the-astonishing-toll-of-covid-19-in-jails-and-prisons/
The company that currently provides health care and pharmacy services for Michigan's 27 prisons says a competitor that's poised to take over the contract will "slash" staffing and bring "dramatic cuts to mental health services." Read more: https://sports.yahoo.com/michigan-prison-healthcare-slashed-under-040000287.html
Colorado, Connecticut, Vermont and Michigan had the highest testing rates among the 32 states studied for COVID-19 testing among inmate populations, according to a study released by the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice. Read more: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2021/04/01/michigan-prisons-covid-19-testing-inmate-deaths/4834926001/
Experts say the global pandemic has made the transition from prison to outside life challenging for former prisoners. Low-wage jobs became scarce as industries shut down last year and services moved to online applications and delivery. Read more: https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/covid-raged-michigan-prisons-life-outside-isnt-easy-either-parolees
