The Detroit Free Press reported that "people incarcerated across the country are now eligible to receive coronavirus stimulus checks from the federal government, but they need to act fast to meet a deadline early next month." This stimulus available to those incarcerated stems from a California lawsuit where a federal judge in California recently ruled that the, [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
USA Today reported on September 1st that the US Federal prison system will resume inmate visitation starting in October. This change, 7 months after visits were suspended because of the threat of COVID-19, was announced by officials on Tuesday. "We are committed to protecting the health and welfare of those inmates who are entrusted [...]
In an article published August 24, 2020, bridgemi.com reported that, with a new surge of COVID-19 cases in Michigan's prisons, many inmates who test positive are placed in solitary confinement. Since March, the Michigan Department of Corrections has placed inmates who are sick or suspected of being so in solitary confinement — which is normally [...]
The Detroit Free Press reported on August 19th, 2020 that all prison staff are now required to get tested for COVID-19 under an emergency order issued that same day. Weekly testing will be required of employees who work in facilities with positive cases confirmed among prisoners or staff within the last 14 days. Testing in those [...]
A Washington Post editorial posted on August 21, 2020 notes the vulnerability of the prison population in the midst of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic and the uneven efforts nationally to deal with this issue. The authors of the opinion article call for more prisoners to be released for health and safety reasons and to help [...]
In an article posted July 31st, 2020, Human Rights Watch highlights how parole and probation have unfortunately feed mass incarceration, not reduced it. The article uses a report published by Human Rights Watch and the ACLU which explores this dynamic and its disproportionate impact on people of color. “Probation and parole are seen as acts [...]
