The Detroit Free Press reports that many prisoners at Parnall Correctional Facility near Jackson have tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies. This may mean that nearly all of the prisoners have been exposed to COVID-19. The Michigan Department of Corrections offered antibody blood tests to all prisoners at Parnall starting in the middle of May. MDOC [...]
MLive reported on May 22, 2020 that the State of Michigan has tested all prisoners in state correction facilities in less than 15 days for COVID-19. This testing covered 38,227 people in 29 facilities. This mass testing, aided by the Michigan National Guard, has allowed Michigan to get a better handle on COVID-19 inside its [...]
The Prison Policy Initiative published a brief on May 21, 2020 that explores how parole "program requirements", often delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic, keep prisoners locked up who could safely be released. As the briefing notes: These are the people who have already been granted parole by the state parole boards, but have not yet [...]
The Annie E. Casey Foundation surveyed prison populations and found that the youth detention population fell 24% in one month. They note: The percentage reduction in youth detention across these jurisdictions in one month was as large as the national decline over a recent seven-year period (from 2010 to 2017). The findings highlight the rapid [...]
The Detroit Free Press published an opinion article highlighting the shifts in how jails are used (or misused) and how the Michigan Jails Task Force findings provide a roadmap on how to improve Michigan's correction system. The article also points out how the Michigan Jails Task Force findings are extremely relevant in helping to protect [...]
Spectrum News posted an article on May 15th highlighting efforts in Texas to release prisoners approved for parole to help reduce prison populations while the state faces the COVID-19 pandemic. The article shares stories of families as they work to get their loved ones released. One prisoner notes, "People do change, so they deserve the [...]
The Oakland Press reported on May 1st that at a federal court hearing, a judge will consider a request to make further changes at the Oakland County Jail due to COVID-19 as well as possible dismissing a class action lawsuit against the county officials. The original lawsuit alleged unsanitary conditions at the county jail are [...]
mLive reported on April 16th, 2020 that a small group of protesters, organized by prison-reform group Nation Outside, drove outside the Capitol Building in Lansing to urge Governor Whitmer to implement a series of measures to protect staff and prisoners facing the risk of exposure to COVID-19 in state prisons. mLive noted: Demonstrators called on the [...]
On April 14th, The Detroit News reported that "Activists have organized #LetMiPeopleGo, a Twitter campaign through 3 p.m., to urge Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and corrections officials to speed release of prison inmates during the coronavirus outbreak." Activists are concerned that under the current pandemic, a prison sentence can become a death sentence. They encourage officials [...]
Fox 2 Detroit news on Thursday April 9th reported that: "Many felons who have been released on parole but required to wear a tether were ordered to remove the tether due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in Michigan, only to have that order revoked less than a day later. According to a memo issued Tuesday [...]
