The Detroit Free Press reported on October 26 that, "The novel coronavirus has torn through a prison in Marquette, infecting 75% of the more than 1,000 men housed there." The article also notes, "42% of the 327 employees at Marquette Branch Prison in the Upper Peninsula had tested positive for COVID-19... A recent surge in [...]
The Detroit Free Press reported that cases among Marquette prison staff doubled in one day. The Michigan Department of Corrections reported 41 new COVID-19 cases among Marquette's staff, bringing the total number of employee cases to 79. The prison along Lake Superior has the highest number of infections among employees of the state's 29 correctional facilities.
WKAR reported that nearly one in five prisoners in Michigan prisons have been infected with COVID since the pandemic began. They note that more than 1,200 people in Michigan prisons are infected right now. Most of them are in four prisons: Marquette, Newberry, and two facilities in Ionia. MDOC spokespeople have noted that only [...]
ABC12 News in reports that more Michigan prisons will offer video visitation for prisoners amid the COVID pandemic. "Contact with friends and family is so important to the prison population. That’s why we worked hard to explore new technologies that could allow them to connect with their loved ones during this time," said Michigan [...]
The Appeal posted an article on October 19th investigating the impact of COVID-19 on prisons, their staff and population, and rural communities where the prisons are located. They noted the following data from Cascade County, Montana: Roughly a quarter of all known cases in Cascade County—where the local hospital’s 27-bed COVID-19 unit is at capacity—are [...]
TV station WLUC reported on October 16th that nearly a quarter of Marquette Branch Prison minimum security inmates have been transferred to Newberry Correctional Facility amid ongoing staffing absences stemming from COVID. Currently 204 inmates have tested positive with COVID. 96 prison staff have also reported positive, the highest in any Michigan correctional facility. [...]
ABC News reports that Michigan prison inmates will now receive photocopies of mail. Corrections officials say the new policy is aimed at stopping an uptick in attempts to hide prohibited items and drugs in mail and ensuring the safety of the prison population. Attempts at mailing contraband increased after in-person visiting ended in March [...]
In an article posted September 25th, michiganradio.org notes the terror and anxiety among prisoners caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. John J. Lennon was a prisoner at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, New York. John said that social distancing was impossible. He shared how making calls on prison phones meant being "chest to shoulders" with [...]
WXYZ Detroit reported on September 29th, 2020 that COVID-19 is highlighting disparities in the US criminal justice system. The article uses Quentin Burt's story to show how Federal mandatory minimum sentencing has impacted the US - in the 1970's, the federal prison population was about 300,000. Now, it's nearly two-and-a-half million. COVID-19 is revealing [...]
A Detroit Free Press article posted on September 19th notes that the ACLU of Michigan is calling on a federal prison to provide free cups to incarcerated people during COVID-19. The ACLU of Michigan wants to prevent the spread of the virus from prisoners using the drinking fountains. Under normal circumstances, prisoners at the [...]
